Adaptive management of deep-seabed mining projects: a systems approach

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Author(s)
Hyman, Jayden
Stewart, Rodney A
Sahin, Oz
Year published
2021
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Increasing demand for metals used in clean energy technologies including electric vehicles has led to an increased demand in certain metals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese. This has in turn led to an expanding interest in deep-seabed mining (DSM) of polymetallic nodule deposits that contain these exact metals. The main concerns about DSM relate to the incomplete information available about the environmental risks associated with seabed mineral extraction. Key uncertainties need to be systematically addressed to refine environmental impact predictions and establish effective mitigation measures. Adaptive management is ...
View more >Increasing demand for metals used in clean energy technologies including electric vehicles has led to an increased demand in certain metals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese. This has in turn led to an expanding interest in deep-seabed mining (DSM) of polymetallic nodule deposits that contain these exact metals. The main concerns about DSM relate to the incomplete information available about the environmental risks associated with seabed mineral extraction. Key uncertainties need to be systematically addressed to refine environmental impact predictions and establish effective mitigation measures. Adaptive management is an iterative process for reducing the uncertainty that can be applied by both mining companies and regulatory bodies. This Brief Commentary reviews the key opportunities and challenges to operationalising adaptive management in DSM projects and highlights the need for a framework to move from theory to practice. The discussion proposes a systems approach to adaptive management, which could help to guide the environmental management of deep-sea mineral extraction. T
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View more >Increasing demand for metals used in clean energy technologies including electric vehicles has led to an increased demand in certain metals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese. This has in turn led to an expanding interest in deep-seabed mining (DSM) of polymetallic nodule deposits that contain these exact metals. The main concerns about DSM relate to the incomplete information available about the environmental risks associated with seabed mineral extraction. Key uncertainties need to be systematically addressed to refine environmental impact predictions and establish effective mitigation measures. Adaptive management is an iterative process for reducing the uncertainty that can be applied by both mining companies and regulatory bodies. This Brief Commentary reviews the key opportunities and challenges to operationalising adaptive management in DSM projects and highlights the need for a framework to move from theory to practice. The discussion proposes a systems approach to adaptive management, which could help to guide the environmental management of deep-sea mineral extraction. T
View less >
Journal Title
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management
Copyright Statement
© 2021 SETAC. This is the peer reviewed version of the following article:Adaptive management of deep-seabed mining projects: a systems approach, Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, 2021, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4395. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving (http://olabout.wiley.com/WileyCDA/Section/id-828039.html)
Subject
Chemical sciences
Environmental sciences
Biological sciences
Deep-seabed mining
adaptive management
environmental management
participatory modelling
social-ecological systems