IES Turning the Tide - Examining the Environmental Impacts of Deep-Sea Mining

Description

There is growing interest in deep-sea mining - the process of extracting mineral resources from the seabed in areas of the deep ocean. Research suggests deep-sea mining could severely harm marine biodiversity and ecosystems, but there is still much that we don’t know about the specific impacts on deep-sea biodiversity. In this event, we'll hear about work being done in this area through the iAtlantic project. The iAtlantic project is undertaking detailed research into the potential effects of deep-sea mining on ecosystems both in the water column and at the seafloor, using experimental approaches to determine organisms’ response to mining impacts such as increased sediment particles in seawater and metal toxicity. As climate change is a significant factor in today’s changing ocean, their research also takes into account the synergistic and potentially cumulative effects of a warming ocean on ecosystems coming under stress from mining activities. This session will take a look at the latest research results and their implications for the development of policies to regulate deep-sea mining activities. A Q&A session with the audience will follow the speakers' presentations.