From principles to practice: a spatial approach to systematic conservation planning in the deep sea

Abstract

Increases in the demand and price for industrial metals, combined with advances in technological capabilities have now made deep-sea mining more feasible and economically viable. In order to balance economic interests with the conservation of abyssal plain ecosystems, it is becoming increasingly important to develop a systematic approach to spatial management and zoning of the deep sea. Here, we describe an expert-driven systematic conservation planning process applied to inform science-based recommendations to the International Seabed Authority for a system of deep-sea marine protected areas (MPAs) to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem function in an abyssal Pacific region targeted for nodule mining (e.g. the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone, CCZ). Our use of geospatial analysis and expert opinion in forming the recommendations allowed us to stratify the proposed network by biophysical gradients, maximize the number of biologically unique seamounts within each subregion, and minimize socioeconomic impacts. The resulting proposal for an MPA network (nine replicate 400 Â 400 km MPAs) covers 24% (1 440 000 km 2 ) of the total CCZ planning region and serves as example of swift and pre-emptive conservation planning across an unprecedented area in the deep sea. As pressure from resource extraction increases in the future, the scientific guiding principles outlined in this research can serve as a basis for collaborative international approaches to ocean management.

Deep seabed mining: a rising environmental challenge

“…The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has taken steps to help support the development of MPAs and other area-based management tools in areas beyond national jurisdiction, including guidelines for describing ecologically or biologically significant areas in need of protection (Gjerde & Rulska-Domino, 2012). Several studies have investigated the scientific basis for a systematic and practical approach to the establishment of protected areas (Van Dover et al, 2012, Wedding et al, 2013Ban et al, 2014). This systematic approach to deep-sea spatial management and environmental zoning envisages a framework that balances socio-economic interests with the protection of the marine environment, including the conservation of marine biodiversity and ecosystems.…”

Editorial: Biodiversity of the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone

“…In fact, it displays a spatially very heterogeneous environment characterised by, for example, changes in nodule sizes and densities, large-scale productivity and depth gradients, as well as a high abundance of topographic features, such as seamounts, hills and channels (e.g. Wedding et al 2013). …”

“…Due to the slow growth rates of nodules (ca. 10 mm/My) and overall very low sedimentation rates, short-term recovery is unlikely; the nodules and noduledependent fauna may take millions of years to recover, and even the partial recovery of the motile sediment-dwelling fauna may take hundreds to thousands of years (Smith et al 2008b;Miljutin et al 2011;Wedding et al 2013;Gollner et al 2017). Additionally, mining impacts may be farreaching, beyond the actual mining block, that would affect benthic and pelagic communities largely through the dispersion of sediment plumes, as well as (potentially toxic) discharge water from mine tailings (ECORYS 2014;Gollner et al 2017).…”

“…Wedding et al 2015;Fritz 2016;Le et al 2017;Vanreusel et al 2016). Following a precautionary approach, the ISA protected a network of nine 160,000-km 2 no-mining areas, now called Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs), to safeguard biodiversity and ecosystem function in the CCZ (Smith et al 2008a;Wedding et al 2013Wedding et al , 2015. Although the original network design included APEIs in the core of the CCZ (Smith et al 2008a;Wedding et al 2013), the APEIs are now located mainly in the outer regions of the CCZ and were selected based on environmental proxies; until 2015, no biological sampling had been undertaken in these areas to directly evaluate the degree of connectivity between faunal assemblages of APEIs and areas targeted for mining (Martínez Arbizu and Haeckel 2015; Amon et al 2016b;Vanreusel et al 2016).…”

The Benthic Megafaunal Assemblages of the CCZ (Eastern Pacific) and an Approach to their Management in the Face of Threatened Anthropogenic Impacts

“…Consequently, the recognition of marine protected areas "where sea-floor mining and other deleterious activities are not allowed" is considered impracticable. Instead the International Seabed Authority (ISBA) has referred to "Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEI), " and also to "Impact Reference Zones" and "Preservation Reference Zones" (Smith et al, 2008b;Wedding et al, 2017), the purposes of which would be to assist the ISBA in taking decisions concerning the modalities of nodule exploitation and its impact both on the ecosystems concerned and on the future of mining activities.…”