standardization of environmental data and information - International ...

PRESENTATION ON DEEP-SEA ECOSYSTEM KNOWLEDGE AND
MINING –TEST IMPACTS
Dr. Smith began his presentation by stating that he would
concentrate on current knowledge of deep-sea ecosystems with special
reference to the so-called nodule province or nodule mining areas, while
dealing briefly with nodule mining technologies and discussing critical
information needed to predict mining impacts.
Past and current syntheses of the potential impacts of mining
suggested that seafloor ecosystems in particular would be most seriously
threatened by nodule mining, for which reason they must be a major focus
of any environmental baseline monitoring and impact assessment. In light
of the long history of seafloor studies, in nodule mining areas as well as the
deep sea in general, and because many contractors would be collecting
environmental data, there was a great need for standardization so that
inter-comparisons could be made and a broader synthesis obtained about
the natural state of deep-sea ecosystems and potential mining impacts.
In discussing the current understanding of deep-sea ecosystems,
Smith focussed on the Clipperton-Clarion Fracture Zone (CCFZ) in the Pacific
Ocean, observing that many of the general ecological insights gained there
might also apply to the Indian Ocean, although there would be differences.
The area of maximum commercial interest in the CCFZ was a large swath
from about 6-20 degrees north latitude and about 110- 180? west
longitude -- a significant part of the North Pacific.
He elaborated on six general characteristics of deep-sea
ecosystems: (1) extremely low productivity, especially in the CCFZ, caused
by low flux of particulate organic carbon (POC), resulting in low standing
crops and biological rates; (2) low physical energy, though this element was
somewhat controversial for the CCFZ; (3) high species diversity; (4) the large
and continuous nature of the habitat, although there were gradients and
patchiness that must be considered in any environmental monitoring
programme and standards; (5) temporal variability, with productivity
patterns changing on a variety of time scales, and (6) the poorly understood
nature of the ecology.
Low productivity
In general, the CCFZ was an area of low phytoplankton standing
stock and relatively low productivity. Since the bulk of the organic matter
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