Several species of sharks and other marine creatures’ extinction risks could rise significantly due to deep-sea mining, says a new study.
The new study led by researchers at the University of Hawaii, and published in a journal named Current Biology, raised alarming concerns about the risk of extinction faced by around 30 different species. The risk arises from numerous marine habitats where deep-sea mining is slated to take place in the near future, endangering the regions.
According to the study, almost two-thirds of the species assessed are already under threat by human activities like overfishing. Climate change poses a major threat too.
The researchers of the study urged regulators and planners of deep-sea mining projects to take into account the risks posed to vulnerable organisms.
KEY FINDINGS
Out of the total assessed species, 30 species were found to be at immediate risk, making them susceptible to waste spread due to mining activities.
Amongst those, 25 species are also vulnerable to direct seafloor disturbance.
For 17 species, more than 50 per cent of their depth distributions fall within mining-affected zones.
The study further estimated that 23 species are projected to suffer a 10 per cent increase in extinction risk when mining is added to existing issues.
For nine species, the projected risk increase is around 20 per cent.
The team behind the study ran bells about risk for sharks, a vertebrate species already at risk due to overfishing.
Species with more specialised life strategies, such as egg-laying skates and deep-living chimaeras, are particularly at risk. Given that many of these species are mobile and can traverse vast ocean expanses, effects from mining zones may ripple into ecosystems far from the immediate disturbance zones – a worrying prospect.
URGENT CALLS FOR CONSERVATION INTEGRATION
The team also argued that deep-sea mining should be deemed another stressor in regulatory frameworks and that conservation strategies must be planned keeping the endangered species in mind.
To mitigate impacts, the authors recommended establishing monitoring programs in mining zones and incorporating sharks, rays, and chimaeras in environmental impact assessments. Protected or exclusion areas were also recommended.
The researchers stressed that the recommended measures need to be adopted by the International Seabed Authority protocols and by mining contractors, ensuring fair enforcement.
Aaron Judah, the lead author of the study, admitted that the list of species at risk may grow longer as more data and studies emerge.
