Australia Sets New Standards for Evaluating Deep-Sea Mining Risks
New Framework for Deep-Sea Mining Assessment
Canberra, July 4: An innovative study from Australia has established a new global standard for evaluating the environmental risks linked to deep-sea mining activities.
This research, spearheaded by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), provides scientifically grounded tools that assist policymakers in assessing the potential impacts and feasibility of extracting essential minerals from the ocean floor.
The framework aims to tackle the considerable environmental uncertainties and risks tied to deep-sea mining, particularly as global interest in these resources intensifies. This study was commissioned by The Metals Company Australia, which is seeking permission to mine polymetallic nodules in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) located in the Pacific Ocean.
The CCZ, which stretches between Mexico and Hawaii, is abundant in cobalt and nickel, crucial for renewable energy technologies, yet it remains one of the planet's most delicate and least understood ecosystems, according to the researchers.
The team from CSIRO, along with collaborators from Griffith University, Museums Victoria, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Earth Sciences New Zealand, has created integrated ecosystem assessments and management tools designed to ensure thorough and transparent oversight of any forthcoming deep-sea mining operations.
Senior Principal Research Scientist Piers Dunstan from CSIRO noted, "There will be impacts at deep-sea mining sites, and our research indicates that the speed and extent of potential recovery varies among different species groups."
The study utilizes a flexible ecosystem-based management framework, incorporating a traffic light system to identify "serious harm" and inform regulatory measures. It forecasts that the impacts of mining will primarily affect the seabed, with certain bottom-dwelling species experiencing notable declines and slow recovery rates.
Professor Tina Soliman-Hunter, an expert in Energy and Natural Resources Law at Macquarie University in Sydney, emphasized the importance of such research, stating, "Without it, the risks of mining activities could lead to long-lasting harm that may endure for generations."