Hein, et al., reported in 2010 in Oceanography Vol.23, No.1, that the near exponential growth in Earth’s population and the global economy puts increasing constraints on our planet’s finite supply of natural metal resources, and, consequently, there is an increasing need for new sources to supply high-tech industries. To date, effectively all of our raw-metal resources are produced at land-based sites. Except for nearshore placer deposits, the marine environment has been largely excluded from metal mining due to technological difficulties, even though it covers more than 70% of the planet. The case can be made that deep-water seabed mining is inevitable in the future, owing to the critical and strategic metal needs for human society. In this paper, we evaluate the case that seamounts offer significant potential for mining.
As we predict that seabed mining development at seamounts will happen under any circumstances for economic reasons, it is important to explore the environmental impacts of such activities. Although there will undoubtedly be a negative local impact on benthic communities, potentially a severe effect if not addressed properly, seabed
mining impacts will be substantially less than those of deep-sea trawling (see Pitcher et al., 2010) because of the limited area that will be affected. The economics of seabed mining is such that only a very small size area will be mined, and it will be relatively easy and commercially viable to leave biological corridors and refuges to enhance recolonization of newly exposed rock surfaces (see Hein et al., 2009, for a discussion of these issues). In addition, overburden rock does not need to be removed, as is common for land-based mines.
Large marine areas within the US Exclusive Economic Zone in the Pacific, which include seamounts, have recently (January 2009) been set aside as Marine National Monuments, where mining will be prohibited. However, the bulk of the seamounts in the Pacific are not protected by such declarations, and they are not subject to nationally regulated mining. Strong international regulations must be carefully considered to guarantee fair use and minimal environmental impact.
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