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Dunn DC, Van Dover CL, Etter RJ, Smith CR, Levin LA, Morato T, Colaço A, Dale AC, Gebruk AV, Gjerde KM, Halpin PN, Howell KL, Johnson D, Perez JAA, Ribeiro MC, Stuckas H, Weaver P. A strategy for the conservation of biodiversity on mid-ocean ridges from deep-sea mining. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaar4313. [PMID: 29978040 PMCID: PMC6031377 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aar4313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Mineral exploitation has spread from land to shallow coastal waters and is now planned for the offshore, deep seabed. Large seafloor areas are being approved for exploration for seafloor mineral deposits, creating an urgent need for regional environmental management plans. Networks of areas where mining and mining impacts are prohibited are key elements of these plans. We adapt marine reserve design principles to the distinctive biophysical environment of mid-ocean ridges, offer a framework for design and evaluation of these networks to support conservation of benthic ecosystems on mid-ocean ridges, and introduce projected climate-induced changes in the deep sea to the evaluation of reserve design. We enumerate a suite of metrics to measure network performance against conservation targets and network design criteria promulgated by the Convention on Biological Diversity. We apply these metrics to network scenarios on the northern and equatorial Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where contractors are exploring for seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits. A latitudinally distributed network of areas performs well at (i) capturing ecologically important areas and 30 to 50% of the spreading ridge areas, (ii) replicating representative areas, (iii) maintaining along-ridge population connectivity, and (iv) protecting areas potentially less affected by climate-related changes. Critically, the network design is adaptive, allowing for refinement based on new knowledge and the location of mining sites, provided that design principles and conservation targets are maintained. This framework can be applied along the global mid-ocean ridge system as a precautionary measure to protect biodiversity and ecosystem function from impacts of SMS mining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C. Dunn
- Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Cindy L. Van Dover
- Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Beaufort, NC 28516, USA
| | - Ron J. Etter
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA 02125, USA
| | - Craig R. Smith
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Lisa A. Levin
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation and Integrative Oceanography Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative and Deep Ocean Observing Strategy, University of Southampton, University Road, Southampton, UK
| | - Telmo Morato
- IMAR Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas, and MARE Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
| | - Ana Colaço
- IMAR Instituto do Mar, Departamento de Oceanografia e Pescas, and MARE Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
| | - Andrew C. Dale
- Scottish Association for Marine Science, Scottish Marine Institute, Oban, Argyll, UK
| | - Andrey V. Gebruk
- Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Kristina M. Gjerde
- IUCN Global Marine and Polar Programme and World Commission on Protected Areas, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
- Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Monterey, CA 93940, USA
| | - Patrick N. Halpin
- Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Kerry L. Howell
- Deep-Sea Conservation Research Unit, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth, UK
| | | | - José Angel A. Perez
- Centro de Ciências Tecnológicas da Terra e do Mar, Universidade do Vale do Itajaí, Itajaí, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Marta Chantal Ribeiro
- Faculty of Law, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Portugal
| | - Heiko Stuckas
- Senckenberg Natural History Collections Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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