Chapter Two Deep Sea Impacts

Abstract

The deep sea is the largest, continuous ecological unit on earth. It is also of all environments the most remote and least well known, both to scientists and to the public. Invisible and visible wastes penetrate this vast volume of water from a variety of sources and via different pathways. Anthropogenic impacts in deep sea deserve serious consideration and international legal regulation. Invisible deep sea contaminants may eventually return to the ocean surface, add to the local pollution and disturb species or communities, and eventually man, through direct or synergistic effects. A thorough knowledge of ecology of the deep sea is essential to arrive at the right decisions. Appropriate deep sea research must be conducted, targeted so as to understand that potential impacts and experimental large-scale approaches are essential. From a conservation point of view, the deep sea is firmly within the ambit of the human community despite its remoteness. Keywords: Anthropogenic impacts; deep sea; experimental large-scale approaches; international legal regulation; local pollution