Climate Wire | A vast, mineral-rich region of the Pacific Ocean known as the Clarion-Cripperton Zone is of great international interest because of its potential for deep-sea mining, which contains minerals critical to renewable energy technologies. But scientists warn that the risks to biodiversity may be higher than previously recognized.
A new study reveals that the region is home to thousands of different marine species, most of which are scientifically new. Additionally, the area has been relatively unstudied to date, so many more species may still be undiscovered.
The new paper was published in the journal on Thursday biology today, provides the first comprehensive ‘checklist’ of species known to exist in the CCZ. The paper synthesizes over 100,000 records from previous research expeditions to the region over the years. In particular, we focus on benthic metazoans, multicellular animals that live on the ocean floor.
The study found that a total of 5,580 species were observed in this zone. Of these, 5,142 are new species that have not yet been formally named or described. Scientists know they exist, but not much else.
The study found that only six of the species known to scientists have been observed elsewhere in the ocean.
And the more scientists study the region, the more likely they are to keep discovering new species. The researchers noted in their study that CCZ still needs to sample a lot. And “seeds are accumulating rapidly as the number of samples increases,” they added.
The study raises new concerns about the potential impact of deep-sea mining in CCZs.
“‘We are now on the eve of the potential approval of some of the large-scale deep-sea mining operations,'” study co-author Adrian Glover, a researcher at the Natural History Museum in London, said in a statement. It is imperative that we work with companies looking to extract the resources of the world to ensure that such activities are conducted in a manner that limits their impact on the natural world.”
The CCZ spans approximately 2 million square miles of the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and Mexico. It has attracted international attention due to its large deposits. The ocean floor is full of small potato-sized rock-like “nodules” rich in minerals such as cobalt, manganese, nickel, copper and zinc.
An intergovernmental body known as the International Seabed Authority is responsible for specifying mining regulations and approving contracts in CCZs. To date, ISA has signed 31 exploration contracts with countries and companies to help assess potential mining opportunities in the region.
At this time, there is no actual deepwater mining at CCZ. The ISA plans to begin accepting mining applications in July this year, although industry rules for mining in the region have yet to be agreed. However, it is still unclear when exactly mining will begin in the area and whether regulations will be enacted before then.
Proponents of deep-sea mining say it is a vital way to secure minerals needed for electric car batteries and renewable energy technologies. Today, these minerals are sourced primarily from land around the world, where they are often linked to human rights abuses.
However, the prospect of expanding deep-sea mining has raised vigilance among activists and some ISA member states concerned about potential harm to biodiversity and marine ecosystems.
The CCZ’s mineral-rich nodules are located above the seafloor and are relatively easy to retrieve. But critics say that using underwater vehicles to collect nodules still crushes and disturbs seafloor marine fauna, raises plumes of sediment that may be filled with toxic heavy metals, It claims it can spread in water.
In 2021, hundreds of marine scientists and policy experts signed an open letter calling for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. That same year, member states of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, environmentalists and other activists also voted for a moratorium on deep-sea mining.
Many scientists, activists and nations have called for caution until researchers better understand the often poorly understood impacts of marine ecosystems on deep-sea biodiversity.
The new CCZ species checklist provides a “starting point” for future studies of this species, the researchers said in their study.
“Sound data and understanding are essential to shedding light on this unique region and protecting it from human impacts in the future,” they said.
Reprinted from E&E News with permission of POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2023. E&E News provides important news for energy and environmental professionals.
