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A strategy for the conservation of biodiversity on mid-ocean ridges from deep-sea mining.

Publication ,  Journal Article
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 ...
Published in: Science advances
July 2018

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.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Science advances

DOI

EISSN

2375-2548

ISSN

2375-2548

Publication Date

July 2018

Volume

4

Issue

7

Start / End Page

eaar4313

Related Subject Headings

  • Oceans and Seas
  • Ecosystem
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • Climate Change
  • Biodiversity
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Dunn, D. C., Van Dover, C. L., Etter, R. J., Smith, C. R., Levin, L. A., Morato, T., … SEMPIA Workshop Participants, . (2018). A strategy for the conservation of biodiversity on mid-ocean ridges from deep-sea mining. Science Advances, 4(7), eaar4313. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aar4313
Dunn, Daniel C., Cindy L. Van Dover, Ron J. Etter, Craig R. Smith, Lisa A. Levin, Telmo Morato, Ana Colaço, et al. “A strategy for the conservation of biodiversity on mid-ocean ridges from deep-sea mining.Science Advances 4, no. 7 (July 2018): eaar4313. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aar4313.
Dunn DC, Van Dover CL, Etter RJ, Smith CR, Levin LA, Morato T, et al. A strategy for the conservation of biodiversity on mid-ocean ridges from deep-sea mining. Science advances. 2018 Jul;4(7):eaar4313.
Dunn, Daniel C., et al. “A strategy for the conservation of biodiversity on mid-ocean ridges from deep-sea mining.Science Advances, vol. 4, no. 7, July 2018, p. eaar4313. Epmc, doi:10.1126/sciadv.aar4313.
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, SEMPIA Workshop Participants. A strategy for the conservation of biodiversity on mid-ocean ridges from deep-sea mining. Science advances. 2018 Jul;4(7):eaar4313.

Published In

Science advances

DOI

EISSN

2375-2548

ISSN

2375-2548

Publication Date

July 2018

Volume

4

Issue

7

Start / End Page

eaar4313

Related Subject Headings

  • Oceans and Seas
  • Ecosystem
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • Climate Change
  • Biodiversity