VentBase: Developing a consensus among stakeholders in the deep-sea regarding environmental impact assessment for deep-sea mining-A workshop report

Patrick Colman Collins*, Bob Kennedy, Jon Copley, Rachel Boschen, Nicholas Fleming, James Forde, Se Jong Ju, Dhugal Lindsay, Leigh Marsh, Verity Nye, Adrian Patterson, Hirome Watanabe, Hiroyuki Yamamoto, Jens Carlsson, Andrew David Thaler, Patrick Collins

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

24 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Mining seafloor massive sulfides for metals is an emergent industry faced with environmental management challenges. These revolve largely around limits to our current understanding of biological variability in marine systems, a challenge common to all marine environmental management. VentBase was established as a forum where academic, commercial, governmental, and non-governmental stakeholders can develop a consensus regarding the management of exploitative activities in the deep-sea. Participants advocate a precautionary approach with the incorporation of lessons learned from coastal studies. This workshop report from VentBase encourages the standardization of sampling methodologies for deep-sea environmental impact assessment. VentBase stresses the need for the collation of spatial data and importance of datasets amenable to robust statistical analyses. VentBase supports the identification of set-asides to prevent the local extirpation of vent-endemic communities and for the post-extraction recolonization of mine sites.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)334-336
Number of pages3
JournalMarine Policy
Volume42
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2013

Keywords

  • Baseline study
  • Deep-sea mining
  • Environmental impact assessment
  • Hydrothermal vent
  • Seafloor massive sulfide

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Aquatic Science
  • Economics and Econometrics
  • General Environmental Science
  • Law
  • Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

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  • VentBase

    Collins, P. (Chair)

    20112018

    Activity: Consultancy typesWork on advisory panel to industry or government or non-government organisation

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