Polymetallic Nodule Mining, Waste Disposal, and Species Extinction at the Abyssal Seafloor

Abstract

ABSTRACT The size of individual mining blocks for polymetallic nodule extraction seems to be rather small, not more than 100 km2 in the French mining claim. Even when adding an additional resedimentation zone to the directly impacted area, the size of the affected seabed would remain below 200 km2. We assume that even rare species in the abyss inhabit larger areas and propose discussions of the International Seabed Authority and other stakeholders for the different subregions on mining strategies from the perspective of exploitation versus species extinction and conservation. Although impacts of waste disposal at the abyssal seafloor are different from those of nodule mining, the 200 km2 concept may also be applied.