Deep Sea Mining Is a Threat to Marine Mammals Page all

KOMPAS.com – An analysis of international scientists published in the journal Science found something surprising.

They said that mining activities in seasuch as oil and gas exploration in deep sea can cause noise that can spread through the ocean for 500 kilometers in calm weather conditions.

This of course can have an impact and be a threat to marine mammal.

Quoted from the Guardian, Friday (8/7/2022) seventeen contractors with exploration permits, are considering the possibility of mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a 4.5 square meter area between Mexico and Hawaii that has mineral-rich plumes. known as polymetallic nodules.

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The scientists also estimated the noise impact if each of these mining companies mined at the CCZ.

This is because scientists have found that noise levels within a 4-6 km radius of each mine can exceed the threshold set by the Fisheries Service sea United States National Park, where there is a risk to marine mammals.

Companies are currently required to study the area where mining is proposed and compare it to a control area within their site where no mining will take place.

These are known as conservation reference areas. Each miner has up to 75,000 sq km.

But modeling from the study shows that nowhere in the 75,000 sq km is free from the effects of noise.

“If our modeling is correct, it may require a rethink of environmental regulations including the number of mining operations permitted within the Clarion-Clipperton Zone,” said Craig Smith, one of the researchers from the University of Hawaii.

Marine mammal species, known to be sensitive to noise, are found throughout the CCZ, including migrating baleen whales and deep-sea diving toothed whales.

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Many deep-sea species are also believed to use sound and vibration to navigate, communicate and detect predators. Underwater noise is likely to disturb their ecosystem.

“Deep sea has the potential to host the millions of identified species and processes there that allow life on Earth to exist,” said Travis Washburn, a deep-sea ecologist at Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST).

According to researchers, so far noise pollution from deep sea mining less attention which ultimately has implications for mining regulations drawn up by the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

But while much work needs to be done on the impacts of noise, there is still room to understand and mitigate them before they occur.

One of them is by urging the mining sector to release accurate information regarding the characteristics of the sound source of all components of seabed mining.

In addition the researchers also asked the ISA to use the precautionary principle and in case of deep sea exploitation, the researchers asked to ensure only one or two mines are operating at a time until the impact of noise pollution is fully understood.

ISA itself is tasked with protecting the marine environment from the serious dangers of seabed mining.

Despite having recommendations for assessing the impact of noise, the ISA study has not determined what constitutes a serious hazard, including unacceptable noise levels.

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