Jones Daniel O B, Kaiser Stefanie, Sweetman Andrew K, Smith Craig R, Menot Lenaick, Vink Annemiek, Trueblood Dwight, Greinert Jens, Billett David S M, Arbizu Pedro Martinez, Radziejewska Teresa, Singh Ravail, Ingole Baban, Stratmann Tanja, Simon-Lledó Erik, Durden Jennifer M, Clark Malcolm R
National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Wilhelmshaven, Germany.
PLoS One. 2017 Feb 8;12(2):e0171750. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0171750. eCollection 2017.
Commercial-scale mining for polymetallic nodules could have a major impact on the deep-sea environment, but the effects of these mining activities on deep-sea ecosystems are very poorly known. The first commercial test mining for polymetallic nodules was carried out in 1970. Since then a number of small-scale commercial test mining or scientific disturbance studies have been carried out. Here we evaluate changes in faunal densities and diversity of benthic communities measured in response to these 11 simulated or test nodule mining disturbances using meta-analysis techniques. We find that impacts are often severe immediately after mining, with major negative changes in density and diversity of most groups occurring. However, in some cases, the mobile fauna and small-sized fauna experienced less negative impacts over the longer term. At seven sites in the Pacific, multiple surveys assessed recovery in fauna over periods of up to 26 years. Almost all studies show some recovery in faunal density and diversity for meiofauna and mobile megafauna, often within one year. However, very few faunal groups return to baseline or control conditions after two decades. The effects of polymetallic nodule mining are likely to be long term. Our analyses show considerable negative biological effects of seafloor nodule mining, even at the small scale of test mining experiments, although there is variation in sensitivity amongst organisms of different sizes and functional groups, which have important implications for ecosystem responses. Unfortunately, many past studies have limitations that reduce their effectiveness in determining responses. We provide recommendations to improve future mining impact test studies. Further research to assess the effects of test-mining activities will inform ways to improve mining practices and guide effective environmental management of mining activities.
多金属结核的商业规模开采可能会对深海环境产生重大影响，但这些开采活动对深海生态系统的影响却鲜为人知。1970年进行了首次多金属结核商业试采。自那时以来，已经开展了一些小规模的商业试采或科学扰动研究。在此，我们运用荟萃分析技术，评估了针对这11次模拟或试采结核开采扰动所测量的底栖生物群落动物密度和多样性的变化。我们发现，开采后影响往往立即很严重，大多数类群的密度和多样性出现重大负面变化。然而，在某些情况下，活动动物群和小型动物群在较长时期内受到的负面影响较小。在太平洋的7个地点，通过多次调查评估了长达26年期间动物群的恢复情况。几乎所有研究都表明，小型底栖生物和活动大型动物的动物密度和多样性在一年内往往会有所恢复。然而，二十年后很少有动物类群恢复到基线或对照条件。多金属结核开采的影响可能是长期的。我们的分析表明，即使在试采实验的小规模情况下，海底结核开采也会产生相当大的负面生物影响，尽管不同大小和功能类群的生物在敏感性上存在差异，这对生态系统的反应具有重要意义。不幸的是，许多过去的研究存在局限性，降低了它们在确定反应方面的有效性。我们提出了改进未来开采影响测试研究的建议。进一步评估试采活动影响的研究将为改进开采做法和指导开采活动的有效环境管理提供依据。
