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Biodiversity loss from deep-sea mining

Nature Geoscience volume 10, pages 464–465 (2017)Cite this article

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To the Editor —

The emerging deep-sea mining industry is seen by some to be an engine for economic development in the maritime sector1. The International Seabed Authority — the body that regulates mining activities on the seabed beyond national jurisdiction — must also protect the marine environment from harmful effects that arise from mining2. The International Seabed Authority is currently drafting a regulatory framework for deep-sea mining that includes measures for environmental protection. Responsible mining increasingly strives to work with no net loss of biodiversity3. Financial and regulatory frameworks commonly require extractive industries to use a four-tier mitigation hierarchy to prevent biodiversity loss: in order of priority, biodiversity loss is to be avoided, minimized, remediated and — as a last resort — offset4,5. We argue here that mining with no net loss of biodiversity using this mitigation hierarchy in the deep sea is an unattainable goal.

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References

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Acknowledgements

Research leading to these findings was supported by the National Science Foundation (C.L.V.D.), Pew Charitable Trusts (C.L.V.D.), International Climate Initiative (GOBI; C.L.V.D.), Université Occidental de Bretagne and Institut Universitaire Européen de la Mer (C.L.V.D., L.P.), 7th EU Framework (MIDAS #603418; J.A.A., D.O.B.J., M.G., K.M.G., P.P.E.W.), EU Horizon 2020 (MERCES #689518, D.O.B.J.) and the J.M. Kaplan Fund (L.A.L.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, 28516, North Carolina, USA

    C. L. Van Dover, L. Pendleton & P. J. Turner

  2. National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, UK

    J. A. Ardron & D. O. B. Jones

  3. UNAM ICML-CU, Biodiversidad y Macroecologia, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico

    E. Escobar

  4. Deep-Sea Conservation Coalition, Postbus 59681, Amsterdam, 1040 LD, The Netherlands

    M. Gianni

  5. IUCN Marine and Polar Programme, Cambridge, 02138, Massachusetts, USA

    K. M. Gjerde

  6. Macquarie Law School and Macquarie Marine Research Centre, Macquarie University, 2109, New South Wales, Australia

    A. Jaeckel

  7. Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0218, California, USA

    L. A. Levin

  8. University College London, Torrens Building, 220 Victoria Square, Adelaide, 5000, Australia

    H. J. Niner

  9. Université de Bretagne Occidentale, UMR6308 AMURE, IUEM, 29280, Plouzané, France

    L. Pendleton

  10. Department of Oceanography, 1000 Pope Road, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Hawaii, 96822, Honolulu, USA

    C. R. Smith

  11. Institute of Global Affairs, London School of Economics, London, WC2A 2AZ, UK

    T. Thiele

  12. Department of Biology, Edmondson Hall, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Hawaii, 96822, Honolulu, USA

    L. Watling

  13. Seascape Consultants, SO51 0QA, Romsey, UK

    P. P. E. Weaver

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  1. C. L. Van Dover
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  7. D. O. B. Jones
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  8. L. A. Levin
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  13. P. J. Turner
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  14. L. Watling
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  15. P. P. E. Weaver
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. L. Van Dover.

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Competing interests

C.L.V.D. and L.A.L. received research support from Nautilus Minerals; C.R.S. received research support from UK Seabed Resources Development Limited.

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Cite this article

Van Dover, C., Ardron, J., Escobar, E. et al. Biodiversity loss from deep-sea mining. Nature Geosci 10, 464–465 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo2983

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