In the untouched region of the central and eastern Pacific Ocean, more than 5 000 sea creatures were discovered by a group of scientists. These creatures include worms, sea sponges, and urchins, previously unknown before the exploration missions.
From the 1970s to the 1990s, large-scale environmental surveys were conducted in the area. Despite decades of exploration missions, there is still not enough taxonomic work in the region, as only a few formal and informal species descriptions were recorded.
Pacific Deep-Sea Mining Hotspot
In the recent survey led by deep-sea ecologist Muriel Rabone from the Natural History Museum London, a total of 5,578 different species were discovered. About 88% to 92% of these creatures were described for the first time.
The discovery site is called the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), between Hawaii, Kiribati, and Mexico. It spans an area of 6 million square kilometers and is regulated by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). Despite the darkness of the region and the low availability of food for marine organisms, this area contains diverse species of benthic invertebrate fauna. Rabone and her team performed the first complete synthesis of benthic metazoan biodiversity for all faunal size classes.
Deep-sea habitats have become the focus of interest of explorers as they possess mineral resources needed to meet the demands for metals such as cobalt and nickel. Since the beginning of exploration in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, 1.2 million square kilometers have been divided and distributed to 17 companies for deep-sea mining in the future.
Scientists expect that more species will be discovered in the area as vast regions of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone remains unexplored. This area might soon become the world's largest mineral exploration region. Knowledge of the biodiversity of the region is also important to effectively manage the environmental effects of potential deep-sea mining activities.
Protection of the High Seas by International Treaty
For several decades, deep-sea mining has been proposed to utilize the seafloor as a promising source of metals needed for the industry. However, it was also opposed by scientists since there is no guarantee that the mining will not cause irreparable harm to the marine ecosystem.
On March 5, 2023, an international treaty was signed to provide a framework for setting up protected regions in international waters. The agreement aims to support the campaign to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030.
The Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) treaty took 40 years to make. It covers the water column and the areas over 200 meters deep up to the seafloor.
Proponents of deep-sea mining claim that using the ocean's resources is needed to obtain the large amounts of metals needed for green technologies. They also argue that deep-sea mining can be done with less disturbance to marine ecosystems than land-based mining.
Since scientists still cannot answer the question about the life and chemistry of deep-sea creatures, it is still debated whether or not the mining operations will disturb their habitat.
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