1
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He Y, Zhou L, Wang M, Zhong Z, Chen H, Lian C, Zhang H, Wang H, Cao L, Li C. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches reveal molecular response and potential biomarkers of the deep-sea mussel Gigantidas platifrons to copper exposure. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2024; 473:134612. [PMID: 38761766 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 04/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Metal pollution caused by deep-sea mining activities has potential detrimental effects on deep-sea ecosystems. However, our knowledge of how deep-sea organisms respond to this pollution is limited, given the challenges of remoteness and technology. To address this, we conducted a toxicity experiment by using deep-sea mussel Gigantidas platifrons as model animals and exposing them to different copper (Cu) concentrations (50 and 500 μg/L) for 7 days. Transcriptomics and LC-MS-based metabolomics methods were employed to characterize the profiles of transcription and metabolism in deep-sea mussels exposed to Cu. Transcriptomic results suggested that Cu toxicity significantly affected the immune response, apoptosis, and signaling processes in G. platifrons. Metabolomic results demonstrated that Cu exposure disrupted its carbohydrate metabolism, anaerobic metabolism and amino acid metabolism. By integrating both sets of results, transcriptomic and metabolomic, we find that Cu exposure significantly disrupts the metabolic pathway of protein digestion and absorption in G. platifrons. Furthermore, several key genes (e.g., heat shock protein 70 and baculoviral IAP repeat-containing protein 2/3) and metabolites (e.g., alanine and succinate) were identified as potential molecular biomarkers for deep-sea mussel's responses to Cu toxicity. This study contributes novel insight for assessing the potential effects of deep-sea mining activities on deep-sea organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yameng He
- Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Li Zhou
- Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China.
| | - Minxiao Wang
- Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Zhaoshan Zhong
- Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Hao Chen
- Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Chao Lian
- Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Huan Zhang
- Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Lei Cao
- Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China
| | - Chaolun Li
- Center of Deep Sea Research, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Marine Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049, China; Laoshan Laboratory, Qingdao 266237, China.
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2
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Xiang Y, Steffen JM, Lam PJ, Gartman A, Mizell K, Fitzsimmons JN. Metal Release from Manganese Nodules in Anoxic Seawater and Implications for Deep-Sea Mining Dewatering Operations. ACS ES&T WATER 2024; 4:2957-2967. [PMID: 39021578 PMCID: PMC11249780 DOI: 10.1021/acsestwater.4c00166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The potential mining of deep-sea polymetallic nodules has been gaining increasing attention due to their enrichment in metals essential for a low-carbon future. To date, there have been few scientific studies concerning the geochemical consequences of dewatered mining waste discharge into the pelagic water column, which can inform best practices in future mining operations. Here, we report the results of laboratory incubation experiments that simulate mining discharge into anoxic waters such as those that overlie potential mining sites in the North Pacific Ocean. We find that manganese nodules are reductively dissolved, with an apparent activation energy of 42.8 kJ mol-1, leading to the release of associated metals in the order manganese > nickel > copper > cobalt > cadmium > lead. The composition of trace metals released during the incubation allows us to estimate a likely trace metal budget from the simulated dewatering waste plume. These estimates suggest that released cobalt and copper are the most enriched trace metals within the plume, up to ∼15 times more elevated than the background seawater. High copper concentrations can be toxic to marine organisms. Future work on metal toxicity to mesopelagic communities could help us better understand the ecological effects of these fluxes of trace metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xiang
- Department
of Ocean Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, United States
| | - Janelle M. Steffen
- Department
of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77840, United States
| | - Phoebe J. Lam
- Department
of Ocean Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, United States
| | - Amy Gartman
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, California 95060, United States
| | - Kira Mizell
- U.S.
Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Santa Cruz, California 95060, United States
| | - Jessica N. Fitzsimmons
- Department
of Oceanography, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77840, United States
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3
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Sun X, Arnott SE. Timing determines zooplankton community responses to multiple stressors. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17358. [PMID: 38822590 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
Human activities and climate change cause abiotic factors to fluctuate through time, sometimes passing thresholds for organismal reproduction and survival. Multiple stressors can independently or interactively impact organisms; however, few studies have examined how they interact when they overlap spatially but occur asynchronously. Fluctuations in salinity have been found in freshwater habitats worldwide. Meanwhile, heatwaves have become more frequent and extreme. High salinity pulses and heatwaves are often decoupled in time but can still collectively impact freshwater zooplankton. The time intervals between them, during which population growth and community recovery could happen, can influence combined effects, but no one has examined these effects. We conducted a mesocosm experiment to examine how different recovery times (0-, 3-, 6-week) between salt treatment and heatwave exposure influence their combined effects. We hypothesized that antagonistic effects would appear when having short recovery time, because previous study found that similar species were affected by the two stressors, but effects would become additive with longer recovery time since fully recovered communities would respond to heatwave similar to undisturbed communities. Our findings showed that, when combined, the two-stressor joint impacts changed from antagonistic to additive with increased recovery time between stressors. Surprisingly, full compositional recovery was not achieved despite a recovery period that was long enough for population growth, suggesting legacy effects from earlier treatment. The recovery was mainly driven by small organisms, such as rotifers and small cladocerans. As a result, communities recovering from previous salt exposure responded differently to heatwaves than undisturbed communities, leading to similar zooplankton communities regardless of the recovery time between stressors. Our research bolsters the understanding and management of multiple-stressor issues by revealing that prior exposure to one stressor has long-lasting impacts on community recovery that can lead to unexpected joint effects of multiple stressors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Sun
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Shelley E Arnott
- Biology Department, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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4
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Metaxas A, Anglin CD, Cross A, Drazen J, Haeckel M, Mudd G, Smith CR, Smith S, Weaver PPE, Sonter L, Amon DJ, Erskine PD, Levin LA, Lily H, Maest AS, Mestre NC, Ramirez-Llodra E, Sánchez LE, Sharma R, Vanreusel A, Wheston S, Tunnicliffe V. Comparing environmental impacts of deep-seabed and land-based mining: A defensible framework. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17334. [PMID: 38780465 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
The crises of climate change and biodiversity loss are interlinked and must be addressed jointly. A proposed solution for reducing reliance on fossil fuels, and thus mitigating climate change, is the transition from conventional combustion-engine to electric vehicles. This transition currently requires additional mineral resources, such as nickel and cobalt used in car batteries, presently obtained from land-based mines. Most options to meet this demand are associated with some biodiversity loss. One proposal is to mine the deep seabed, a vast, relatively pristine and mostly unexplored region of our planet. Few comparisons of environmental impacts of solely expanding land-based mining versus extending mining to the deep seabed for the additional resources exist and for biodiversity only qualitative. Here, we present a framework that facilitates a holistic comparison of relative ecosystem impacts by mining, using empirical data from relevant environmental metrics. This framework (Environmental Impact Wheel) includes a suite of physicochemical and biological components, rather than a few selected metrics, surrogates, or proxies. It is modified from the "recovery wheel" presented in the International Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration to address impacts rather than recovery. The wheel includes six attributes (physical condition, community composition, structural diversity, ecosystem function, external exchanges and absence of threats). Each has 3-5 sub attributes, in turn measured with several indicators. The framework includes five steps: (1) identifying geographic scope; (2) identifying relevant spatiotemporal scales; (3) selecting relevant indicators for each sub-attribute; (4) aggregating changes in indicators to scores; and (5) generating Environmental Impact Wheels for targeted comparisons. To move forward comparisons of land-based with deep seabed mining, thresholds of the indicators that reflect the range in severity of environmental impacts are needed. Indicators should be based on clearly articulated environmental goals, with objectives and targets that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Metaxas
- Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - C D Anglin
- Anglin & Associates Consulting, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - A Cross
- School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia, Australia
- EcoHealth Network, Brookline, Massachusetts, USA
| | - J Drazen
- University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - M Haeckel
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - G Mudd
- Environmental Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - C R Smith
- University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
| | - S Smith
- Blue Globe Solutions Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - L Sonter
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - D J Amon
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, USA
- SpeSeas, D'Abadie, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - P D Erskine
- Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - L A Levin
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - H Lily
- Independent Legal Consultant, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | - A S Maest
- Buka Environmental, Telluride, Colorado, USA
| | - N C Mestre
- Centre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIMA)-Infrastructure Network in Aquatic Research (ARNET), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | | | - L E Sánchez
- Department of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - R Sharma
- National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, India
| | - A Vanreusel
- Marine Biology Research Group Ghent University Krijgslaan, Ghent, Belgium
| | - S Wheston
- Tembusu-Sustainability & Risk Management, Cashel, County Tipperary, Ireland
| | - V Tunnicliffe
- Department of Biology/School Earth & Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
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5
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Diaz-Recio Lorenzo C, Tran Lu Y A, Brunner O, Arbizu PM, Jollivet D, Laurent S, Gollner S. Highly structured populations of copepods at risk to deep-sea mining: Integration of genomic data with demogenetic and biophysical modelling. Mol Ecol 2024; 33:e17340. [PMID: 38605683 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Copepoda is the most abundant taxon in deep-sea hydrothermal vents, where hard substrate is available. Despite the increasing interest in seafloor massive sulphides exploitation, there have been no population genomic studies conducted on vent meiofauna, which are known to contribute over 50% to metazoan biodiversity at vents. To bridge this knowledge gap, restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing, specifically 2b-RADseq, was used to retrieve thousands of genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from abundant populations of the vent-obligate copepod Stygiopontius lauensis from the Lau Basin. SNPs were used to investigate population structure, demographic histories and genotype-environment associations at a basin scale. Genetic analyses also helped to evaluate the suitability of tailored larval dispersal models and the parameterization of life-history traits that better fit the population patterns observed in the genomic dataset for the target organism. Highly structured populations were observed on both spatial and temporal scales, with divergence of populations between the north, mid, and south of the basin estimated to have occurred after the creation of the major transform fault dividing the Australian and the Niuafo'ou tectonic plate (350 kya), with relatively recent secondary contact events (<20 kya). Larval dispersal models were able to predict the high levels of structure and the highly asymmetric northward low-level gene flow observed in the genomic data. These results differ from most studies conducted on megafauna in the region, elucidating the need to incorporate smaller size when considering site prospecting for deep-sea exploitation of seafloor massive sulphides, and the creation of area-based management tools to protect areas at risk of local extinction, should mining occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Coral Diaz-Recio Lorenzo
- Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin (AD2M), Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | - Adrien Tran Lu Y
- UMR MARBEC, University of Montpellier, IRD, Ifremer, CNRS, Sète, France
| | - Otis Brunner
- Okinawa Institute for Science and Technology, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, Japan
| | - Pedro Martínez Arbizu
- Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Didier Jollivet
- Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin (AD2M), Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | | | - Sabine Gollner
- NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, 't Horntje (Texel), The Netherlands
- Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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6
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Lin S, Li J, Jia L, Huang X, Wang L. Different biological responses of Skeletonema costatum and Prorocentrum donghaiense to polymetallic nodules from seawaters. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2024; 269:106871. [PMID: 38402835 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2024.106871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The negative impacts of polymetallic nodules mining on deep-sea benthic organisms have been widely established, but there is still a lack of understanding of the environmental impact on the surface ocean scenario. Phytoplankton growth experiment was conducted to determine the biological effect of polymetallic nodules on Prorocentrum donghaiense and Skeletonema costatum. The results showed that regardless of concentration and particle size, polymetallic nodules show a promoting effect on P. donghaiense (p < 0.05), the cell density in the experimental group increased by 35.2%-46.5% compared to the control at the end of the experiment. While fine particles significantly inhibited the growth of S. costatum (p < 0.05), the maximum inhibition rate on cell density reached 63.1%. Polymetallic nodules significantly enhance the Fv/Fm and the maximum electron transport rate of photosystem II in P. donghaiense, thereby increasing its growth rate. However, polymetallic nodules particles stimulated the antioxidant activity and extracellular polymeric substances secretion of S. costatum, resulting in phytoplankton flocculation and sedimentation, which inhibits its growth. Thus, these discriminatory impacts may cause alterations in biomass and community structure, ultimately affecting the ecological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuangshuang Lin
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering & Environmental Science, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
| | - Jiandi Li
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering & Environmental Science, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
| | - Liping Jia
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering & Environmental Science, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Province University Key Laboratory of Pollution Monitoring and Control, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Modern Analytical Science and Separation Technology, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China
| | - Xuguang Huang
- College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering & Environmental Science, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Province University Key Laboratory of Pollution Monitoring and Control, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China; Fujian Province Key Laboratory of Modern Analytical Science and Separation Technology, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou 363000, China.
| | - Lei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Ecological Conservation and Restoration, Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources P.R.C., Xiamen 361005, China.
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7
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Ricci F, Leggat W, Pasella MM, Bridge T, Horowitz J, Girguis PR, Ainsworth T. Deep sea treasures - Insights from museum archives shed light on coral microbial diversity within deepest ocean ecosystems. Heliyon 2024; 10:e27513. [PMID: 38468949 PMCID: PMC10926130 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Deep sea benthic habitats are low productivity ecosystems that host an abundance of organisms within the Cnidaria phylum. The technical limitations and the high cost of deep sea surveys have made exploring deep sea environments and the biology of the organisms that inhabit them challenging. In spite of the widespread recognition of Cnidaria's environmental importance in these ecosystems, the microbial assemblage and its role in coral functioning have only been studied for a few deep water corals. Here, we explored the microbial diversity of deep sea corals by recovering nucleic acids from museum archive specimens. Firstly, we amplified and sequenced the V1-V3 regions of the 16S rRNA gene of these specimens, then we utilized the generated sequences to shed light on the microbial diversity associated with seven families of corals collected from depth in the Coral Sea (depth range 1309 to 2959 m) and Southern Ocean (depth range 1401 to 2071 m) benthic habitats. Surprisingly, Cyanobacteria sequences were consistently associated with six out of seven coral families from both sampling locations, suggesting that these bacteria are potentially ubiquitous members of the microbiome within these cold and deep sea water corals. Additionally, we show that Cnidaria might benefit from symbiotic associations with a range of chemosynthetic bacteria including nitrite, carbon monoxide and sulfur oxidizers. Consistent with previous studies, we show that sequences associated with the bacterial phyla Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes and Acidobacteriota dominated the microbial community of corals in the deep sea. We also explored genomes of the bacterial genus Mycoplasma, which we identified as associated with specimens of three deep sea coral families, finding evidence that these bacteria may aid the host immune system. Importantly our results show that museum specimens retain components of host microbiome that can provide new insights into the diversity of deep sea coral microbiomes (and potentially other organisms), as well as the diversity of microbes writ large in deep sea ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Ricci
- University of New South Wales, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Kensington, NSW, Australia
- University of Melbourne, School of Biosciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Monash University, Department of Microbiology, Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - William Leggat
- University of Newcastle, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
| | - Marisa M. Pasella
- University of Melbourne, School of Biosciences, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Tom Bridge
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Queensland Museum, Townsville, QLD, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
| | - Jeremy Horowitz
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia
- Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Peter R. Girguis
- University of Harvard, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Tracy Ainsworth
- University of New South Wales, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Kensington, NSW, Australia
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8
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Chen C, Jamieson JW, Tunnicliffe V. Hydrothermal vent fauna of the Galápagos Rift: updated species list with new records. MARINE BIODIVERSITY : A JOURNAL OF THE SENCKENBERG RESEARCH INSTITUTE 2024; 54:16. [PMID: 38371229 PMCID: PMC10869388 DOI: 10.1007/s12526-024-01408-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The sighting of giant bivalves and tubeworms at the Rose Garden vent field on the Galápagos Rift in 1977 marked the discovery of hydrothermal vents, a turning point for modern biology. The following decade saw a flurry of taxonomic descriptions of vent endemic species from the first vents. With the finding of high-temperature "black smokers" on the East Pacific Rise, exploration shifted away from Galápagos. A faunal list of Galápagos vents with 65 species was published in 1991, then updated to 74 species in 2006. Since then, few expeditions returned to the Galápagos Rift. Here, we revisited several Galápagos vents including recently confirmed high-temperature sites and inactive sulfide mounds. From our collecting efforts and observations, as well as revisions from the literature, we update the faunal list to 92 species including 15 new records, restricted to obvious vent associates. Accurate regional faunal lists are important for understanding the biogeography of vent fauna, and our list will also be valuable for setting management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Chen
- X-STAR, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), 2-15 Natsushima-cho, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061 Japan
| | - John W. Jamieson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Newfoundland A1B 3X5 Canada
| | - Verena Tunnicliffe
- Department of Biology and School of Earth/Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia V8P 3E6 Canada
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9
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Guerra A, Azevedo A, Amorim F, Soares J, Neuparth T, Santos MM, Martins I, Colaço A. Using a food web model to predict the effects of Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) accidental spills on deep-sea hydrothermal vents from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) region. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 199:115974. [PMID: 38176164 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents host unique ecosystems but face risks of incidents with Hazardous and Noxious Substances (HNS) along busy shipping lanes such as the transatlantic route. We developed an Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) model of the Menez Gwen (MG) vent field (MG-EwE) (Mid-Atlantic Ridge) to simulate ecosystem effects of potential accidental spills of four different HNS, using a semi-Lagrangian Dispersion Model (sLDM) coupled with the Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMS) calibrated for the study area. Food web modelling revealed a simplified trophic structure with low energy efficiency. The MG ecosystem was vulnerable to disruptions caused by all tested HNS, yet it revealed some long-term resilience. Understanding these impacts is vital for enhancing Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure plans (SPCC) in remote marine areas and developing tools to assess stressors effects on these invaluable habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Guerra
- IMAR Institute of Marine Research, University of the Azores, Rua Prof Frederico Machado, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal; CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Porto, Portugal.
| | - A Azevedo
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Porto, Portugal
| | - F Amorim
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Porto, Portugal
| | - J Soares
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Porto, Portugal; AIR Centre, TERINOV-Parque de Ciência e Tecnologia da Ilha Terceira, Canada de Belém S/N, Terra Chã, 9700-702 Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal
| | - T Neuparth
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Porto, Portugal
| | - M M Santos
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Porto, Portugal; FCUP, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - I Martins
- CIMAR/CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, University of Porto, Terminal de Cruzeiros do Porto de Leixões, Porto, Portugal.
| | - A Colaço
- Institute of Marine Sciences, Okeanos, University of the Azores, Rua Prof Frederico Machado, 9901-862 Horta, Portugal
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10
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Baco AR, Ross R, Althaus F, Amon D, Bridges AEH, Brix S, Buhl-Mortensen P, Colaco A, Carreiro-Silva M, Clark MR, Du Preez C, Franken ML, Gianni M, Gonzalez-Mirelis G, Hourigan T, Howell K, Levin LA, Lindsay DJ, Molodtsova TN, Morgan N, Morato T, Mejia-Mercado BE, O’Sullivan D, Pearman T, Price D, Robert K, Robson L, Rowden AA, Taylor J, Taylor M, Victorero L, Watling L, Williams A, Xavier JR, Yesson C. Towards a scientific community consensus on designating Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems from imagery. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16024. [PMID: 37846312 PMCID: PMC10576969 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Management of deep-sea fisheries in areas beyond national jurisdiction by Regional Fisheries Management Organizations/Arrangements (RFMO/As) requires identification of areas with Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs). Currently, fisheries data, including trawl and longline bycatch data, are used by many RFMO/As to inform the identification of VMEs. However, the collection of such data creates impacts and there is a need to collect non-invasive data for VME identification and monitoring purposes. Imagery data from scientific surveys satisfies this requirement, but there currently is no established framework for identifying VMEs from images. Thus, the goal of this study was to bring together a large international team to determine current VME assessment protocols and establish preliminary global consensus guidelines for identifying VMEs from images. An initial assessment showed a lack of consistency among RFMO/A regions regarding what is considered a VME indicator taxon, and hence variability in how VMEs might be defined. In certain cases, experts agreed that a VME could be identified from a single image, most often in areas of scleractinian reefs, dense octocoral gardens, multiple VME species' co-occurrence, and chemosynthetic ecosystems. A decision flow chart is presented that gives practical interpretation of the FAO criteria for single images. To further evaluate steps of the flow chart related to density, data were compiled to assess whether scientists perceived similar density thresholds across regions. The range of observed densities and the density values considered to be VMEs varied considerably by taxon, but in many cases, there was a statistical difference in what experts considered to be a VME compared to images not considered a VME. Further work is required to develop an areal extent index, to include a measure of confidence, and to increase our understanding of what levels of density and diversity correspond to key ecosystem functions for VME indicator taxa. Based on our results, the following recommendations are made: 1. There is a need to establish a global consensus on which taxa are VME indicators. 2. RFMO/As should consider adopting guidelines that use imagery surveys as an alternative (or complement) to using bycatch and trawl surveys for designating VMEs. 3. Imagery surveys should also be included in Impact Assessments. And 4. All industries that impact the seafloor, not just fisheries, should use imagery surveys to detect and identify VMEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy R. Baco
- Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | | | | | - Diva Amon
- SpeSeas, D’Abadie, Trinidad and Tobago
- Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States
| | - Amelia E. H. Bridges
- School of Biological and Marine Science, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Saskia Brix
- Senckenberg am Meer, German Center for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg Nature Research Society, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Ana Colaco
- Okeanos-University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
| | | | - Malcolm R. Clark
- National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Cherisse Du Preez
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Sidney, Canada
- University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Thomas Hourigan
- National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, Washington, D.C., United States
| | - Kerry Howell
- School of Biological and Marine Science, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Lisa A. Levin
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, California, United States
| | - Dhugal J. Lindsay
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Yokosuka, Japan
| | | | - Nicole Morgan
- Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Telmo Morato
- Okeanos-University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
| | - Beatriz E. Mejia-Mercado
- Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | | | - Tabitha Pearman
- South Atlantic Environmental Research Institute, Stanley, Falkland Islands
| | - David Price
- Okeanos-University of the Azores, Horta, Portugal
- The National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United Kingdom
- University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Katleen Robert
- Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University, St. John’s, Canada
| | - Laura Robson
- Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough, United Kingdom
| | - Ashley A. Rowden
- National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand
- Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - James Taylor
- Senckenberg am Meer, German Center for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg Nature Research Society, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michelle Taylor
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Essex, United Kingdom
| | - Lissette Victorero
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Bergen, Norway
- University of Aveiro, CESAM, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Les Watling
- University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, United States
| | | | - Joana R. Xavier
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- CIIMAR, Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, CIIMAR, University of Porto, Matsosinhos, Portugal
| | - Chris Yesson
- Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
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11
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Gellert M, Błażewicz M, Mamos T, Bird GJ. Diversity under a magnifier lens: the case of Typhlotanaidae (Crustacea: Tanaidacea) in the N Atlantic. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10905. [PMID: 37407596 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33616-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Research focusing on 'stout-bodied' typhlotanaids collected from several sites around Iceland and adjacent N Atlantic region has resulted in the description of 15 species new to science, as well as the creation of eight new genera. Typhlotanais eximius Hansen, 1913 is redescribed and transferred to a new genus, while Typhlotanais crassus and Peraeospinosus adipatus are transferred to the genus Larsenotanais. The morphological and the molecular data were combined to consolidate and confirm the validity of the results obtained from both approaches. The polyphyletic nature of the Typhlotanaidae and its serious of its taxonomic diversity are emphasized, although molecular analysis reveals that the 'stout-bodied' Typhlotanaidae form monophyletic clade. Depth and temperature are identified as the main environmental parameters determining the distribution of this group of Typhlotanaidae. Several species are clearly associated with the shelf and upper bathyal of Iceland. The Greenland-Iceland-Faroe Ridge is shown to be a distinct zoogeographical barrier for typhlotanaids inhabiting the deeper slope and abyssal regions around Iceland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Gellert
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland.
| | - Magdalena Błażewicz
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Tomasz Mamos
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
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12
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Washburn TW, Simon-Lledó E, Soong GY, Suzuki A. Seamount mining test provides evidence of ecological impacts beyond deposition. Curr Biol 2023:S0960-9822(23)00815-1. [PMID: 37453422 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
In July 2020, Japan undertook the first deep-sea mining test of cobalt-rich crusts on the summit of Takuyo-Daigo Seamount within their exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Seabed mining regulations are currently being developed by the International Seabed Authority (ISA)1; however, a lack of experimental data has so far constrained our understanding of the associated impacts, particularly from the release of sediment plumes.2 The area of sediment re-deposition from the crust mining test was determined using modeled data and in situ observations. To investigate biological impacts, variations in seabed megafauna (animals > 1 cm) were quantified from seabed imagery collected around the excavation site before, 1 month, and 13 months after the test in areas both inside and outside (adjacent) expected deposition. Observable responses varied across community components: densities of sessile animals were similar between deposition and adjacent areas throughout the study; mobile epifauna were less abundant only in the deposition area following disturbance; and highly mobile swimmers showed reduced densities after the test in both deposition and adjacent areas following disturbance. These results stress that monitoring of highly mobile taxa may be essential to fully assess disturbance extent and magnitude. Fish may avoid areas even outside plume deposition, possibly owing to the creation of suboptimal feeding patches resulting from deposition. Our findings suggest sufficiently large (>300 × 300 m), distant, and representative control areas are essential to optimally map deep-sea mining impacts in ferromanganese crust habitats to ensure impact assessments encompass the full range of functional components in the megabenthic community (including mobile fishes) that typically inhabit seamounts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis W Washburn
- Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 7, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan; Research Laboratory on Environmentally-conscious Developments and Technologies [E-code], National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 7, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8567, Japan.
| | - Erik Simon-Lledó
- National Oceanography Centre, European Way, SO14 3ZH Southampton, UK
| | - Giun Yee Soong
- Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 7, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan
| | - Atsushi Suzuki
- Geological Survey of Japan, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 7, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8567, Japan; Research Laboratory on Environmentally-conscious Developments and Technologies [E-code], National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Central 7, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba 305-8567, Japan
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13
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Durden JM, Clare MA, Vad J, Gates AR. First in-situ monitoring of sponge response and recovery to an industrial sedimentation event. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2023; 191:114870. [PMID: 37071940 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Assessment of risks to seabed habitats from industrial activities is based on the resilience and potential for recovery. Increased sedimentation, a key impact of many offshore industries, results in burial and smothering of benthic organisms. Sponges are particularly vulnerable to increases in suspended and deposited sediment, but response and recovery have not been observed in-situ. We quantified the impact of sedimentation from offshore hydrocarbon drilling over ∼5 days on a lamellate demosponge, and its recovery in-situ over ∼40 days using hourly time-lapse photographs with measurements of backscatter (a proxy of suspended sediment) and current speed. Sediment accumulated on the sponge then cleared largely gradually but occasionally sharply, though it did not return to the initial state. This partial recovery likely involved a combination of active and passive removal. We discuss the use of in-situ observing, which is critical to monitoring impacts in remote habitats, and need for calibration to laboratory conditions.
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14
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Duhamet A, Albouy C, Marques V, Manel S, Mouillot D. The global depth range of marine fishes and their genetic coverage for environmental DNA metabarcoding. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9672. [PMID: 36699576 PMCID: PMC9846838 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The bathymetric and geographical distribution of marine species represent a key information in biodiversity conservation. Yet, deep-sea ecosystems are among the least explored on Earth and are increasingly impacted by human activities. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding has emerged as a promising method to study fish biodiversity but applications to the deep-sea are still scarce. A major limitation in the application of eDNA metabarcoding is the incompleteness of species sequences available in public genetic databases which reduces the extent of detected species. This incompleteness by depth is still unknown. Here, we built the global bathymetric and geographical distribution of 10,826 actinopterygian and 960 chondrichthyan fish species. We assessed their genetic coverage by depth and by ocean for three main metabarcoding markers used in the literature: teleo and MiFish-U/E. We also estimated the number of primer mismatches per species amplified by in silico polymerase chain reaction which influence the probability of species detection. Actinopterygians show a stronger decrease in species richness with depth than Chondrichthyans. These richness gradients are accompanied by a continuous species turnover between depths. Fish species coverage with the MiFish-U/E markers is higher than with teleo while threatened species are more sequenced than the others. "Deep-endemic" species, those not ascending to the shallow depth layer, are less sequenced than not threatened species. The number of primer mismatches is not higher for deep-sea species than for shallower ones. eDNA metabarcoding is promising for species detection in the deep-sea to better account for the 3-dimensional structure of the ocean in marine biodiversity monitoring and conservation. However, we argue that sequencing efforts on "deep-endemic" species are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Duhamet
- MARBECUniv Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, IfremerMontpellierFrance,CEFEUniv Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE‐PSL University, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - Camille Albouy
- Ecosystem and Landscape Evolution, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZürichZürichSwitzerland,Unit of Land Change ScienceSwiss Federal Research Institute WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - Virginie Marques
- Ecosystem and Landscape Evolution, Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Department of Environmental Systems ScienceETH ZürichZürichSwitzerland,Unit of Land Change ScienceSwiss Federal Research Institute WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - Stephanie Manel
- CEFEUniv Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE‐PSL University, IRDMontpellierFrance
| | - David Mouillot
- MARBECUniv Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, IfremerMontpellierFrance,Institut Universitaire de FranceParisFrance
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15
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Neal L, Wiklund H, Gunton LM, Rabone M, Bribiesca-Contreras G, Dahlgren TG, Glover AG. Abyssal fauna of polymetallic nodule exploration areas, eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone, central Pacific Ocean: Amphinomidae and Euphrosinidae (Annelida, Amphinomida). Zookeys 2022; 1137:33-74. [PMID: 36760485 PMCID: PMC9836652 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1137.86150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
This is a contribution in a series of taxonomic publications on benthic fauna of polymetallic nodule fields in the eastern abyssal Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ). The material was collected during environmental surveys targeting exploration contract areas 'UK-1', 'OMS' and 'NORI-D', as well as an Area of Particular Environmental Interest, 'APEI-6'. The annelid families Amphinomidae and Euphrosinidae are investigated here. Taxonomic data are presented for six species from 41 CCZ-collected specimens as identified by a combination of morphological and genetic approaches; of the six species, three are here described as new, one species is likely to be new but in too poor condition to be formalised and the two others likely belong to known species. Description of three new species Euphrosinellageorgievae sp. nov., Euphrosinopsisahearni sp. nov., and Euphrosinopsishalli sp. nov. increases the number of formally described new annelid species from the targeted areas to 21 and CCZ-wide to 52. Molecular data suggest that four of the species reported here are known from CCZ only, but within CCZ they have a wide distribution. In contrast, the species identified as Bathychloeiacf.sibogae Horst, 1910 was found to have a wide distribution within the Pacific based on both morphological and molecular data, using comparative material from the abyssal South Pacific. Bathychloeiacf.balloniformis Böggemann, 2009 was found to be restricted to APEI-6 based on DNA data available from CCZ specimens only, but morphological data from other locations suggest potentially a wide abyssal distribution. The genus Euphrosinopsis was previously known only from Antarctic waters, and Euphrosinellageorgievae sp. nov. was recovered as a sister taxon to the Antarctic specimens of Euphrosinellacf.cirratoformis in our molecular phylogenetic analysis, strengthening the hypothesised link between the deep-sea and Antarctic benthic fauna.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Neal
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UKLife Sciences Department, Natural History MuseumLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Helena Wiklund
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UKLife Sciences Department, Natural History MuseumLondonUnited Kingdom,Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, 40530 Gothenburg, SwedenUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden,Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 463, 40530 Gothenburg, SwedenGothenburg Global Biodiversity CentreGothenburgSweden
| | - Laetitia M. Gunton
- Australian Museum Research Institute, 1 William Street, Sydney NSW 2010, AustraliaAustralian Museum Research InstituteSydneyAustralia
| | - Muriel Rabone
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UKLife Sciences Department, Natural History MuseumLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UKLife Sciences Department, Natural History MuseumLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Thomas G. Dahlgren
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, 40530 Gothenburg, SwedenUniversity of GothenburgGothenburgSweden,Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, Box 463, 40530 Gothenburg, SwedenGothenburg Global Biodiversity CentreGothenburgSweden,NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, Bergen, NorwayNORCE Norwegian Research CentreBergenNorway
| | - Adrian G. Glover
- Life Sciences Department, Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UKLife Sciences Department, Natural History MuseumLondonUnited Kingdom
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16
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Ou R, Cai L, Qiu J, Huang H, Ou D, Li W, Lin F, He X, Wang L, Wu R. Simulation Experiment of Environmental Impact of Deep-Sea Mining: Response of Phytoplankton Community to Polymetallic Nodules and Sediment Enrichment in Surface Water. TOXICS 2022; 10:610. [PMID: 36287890 PMCID: PMC9608977 DOI: 10.3390/toxics10100610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, simulation experiments were conducted to study the response of phytoplankton biomass and community composition to the influence of polymetallic nodules and sediment at four stations in the western Pacific in 2021. Chlorophyll a, pico-phytoplankton cell abundance, and metal concentration were measured before and after 24 h of deck incubation. The results show that there were three different patterns of response, namely, restrained, stimulated, and unaffected patterns. The restrained pattern appeared in the filtered treatments at station Incub.01, and the stimulated pattern appeared in the unfiltered treatments at station Incub.02. The response of the phytoplankton was not detectable at stations Incub.03 and 04. Regardless, positive and negative responses were found in the dominant pico-phytoplankton group-Prochlorococcus-and with slight variation in Synechococcus. The concentration of manganese varied among the treatments compared to that of iron and other metals. The factors affecting the growth of the phytoplankton in this study were metal concentrations and turbidity. The phytoplankton biomass baseline may also have played an important role: the lower the biomass, the higher the growth rate. This study proved that deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining will have a specific impact on surface phytoplankton biomass, but turbidity and particle retention time could be important factors in mitigating the extent of the impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rimei Ou
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources P.R.C., Xiamen 361005, China
- College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Lei Cai
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources P.R.C., Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Jinli Qiu
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources P.R.C., Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Hao Huang
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources P.R.C., Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Danyun Ou
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources P.R.C., Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Weiwen Li
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources P.R.C., Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Fanyu Lin
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources P.R.C., Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Xuebao He
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources P.R.C., Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Lei Wang
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources P.R.C., Xiamen 361005, China
| | - Risheng Wu
- Third Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources P.R.C., Xiamen 361005, China
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17
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Poitrimol C, Thiébaut É, Daguin-Thiébaut C, Le Port AS, Ballenghien M, Tran Lu Y A, Jollivet D, Hourdez S, Matabos M. Contrasted phylogeographic patterns of hydrothermal vent gastropods along South West Pacific: Woodlark Basin, a possible contact zone and/or stepping-stone. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0275638. [PMID: 36197893 PMCID: PMC9534440 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0275638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding drivers of biodiversity patterns is essential to evaluate the potential impact of deep-sea mining on ecosystems resilience. While the South West Pacific forms an independent biogeographic province for hydrothermal vent fauna, different degrees of connectivity among basins were previously reported for a variety of species depending on their ability to disperse. In this study, we compared phylogeographic patterns of several vent gastropods across South West Pacific back-arc basins and the newly-discovered La Scala site on the Woodlark Ridge by analysing their genetic divergence using a barcoding approach. We focused on six genera of vent gastropods widely distributed in the region: Lepetodrilus, Symmetromphalus, Lamellomphalus, Shinkailepas, Desbruyeresia and Provanna. A wide-range sampling was conducted at different vent fields across the Futuna Volcanic Arc, the Manus, Woodlark, North Fiji, and Lau Basins, during the CHUBACARC cruise in 2019. The Cox1-based genetic structure of geographic populations was examined for each taxon to delineate putative cryptic species and assess potential barriers or contact zones between basins. Results showed contrasted phylogeographic patterns among species, even between closely related species. While some species are widely distributed across basins (i.e. Shinkailepas tollmanni, Desbruyeresia melanioides and Lamellomphalus) without evidence of strong barriers to gene flow, others are restricted to one (i.e. Shinkailepas tufari complex of cryptic species, Desbruyeresia cancellata and D. costata). Other species showed intermediate patterns of isolation with different lineages separating the Manus Basin from the Lau/North Fiji Basins (i.e. Lepetodrilus schrolli, Provanna and Symmetromphalus spp.). Individuals from the Woodlark Basin were either endemic to this area (though possibly representing intermediate OTUs between the Manus Basin and the other eastern basins populations) or, coming into contact from these basins, highlighting the stepping-stone role of the Woodlark Basin in the dispersal of the South West Pacific vent fauna. Results are discussed according to the dispersal ability of species and the geological history of the South West Pacific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Poitrimol
- Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
- Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes marins Profonds, Ifremer, CNRS, UBO, Plouzané, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Éric Thiébaut
- Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | - Claire Daguin-Thiébaut
- Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Le Port
- Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | - Marion Ballenghien
- Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | - Adrien Tran Lu Y
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier, Université Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Didier Jollivet
- Adaptation et Diversité en Milieu Marin, Station Biologique de Roscoff, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Roscoff, France
| | - Stéphane Hourdez
- Laboratoire d’Ecogéochimie des Environnements Benthiques, Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - Marjolaine Matabos
- Biologie et Ecologie des Ecosystèmes marins Profonds, Ifremer, CNRS, UBO, Plouzané, France
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18
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Nascimento RL, Alves PR, Di Domenico M, Braga AA, de Paiva PC, D'Azeredo Orlando MT, Sant'Ana Cavichini A, Longhini CM, Martins CC, Neto RR, Grilo CF, Oliveira KSS, da Silva Quaresma V, Costa ES, Cagnin RC, da Silva CA, Sá F, de Lourdes Longo L. The Fundão dam failure: Iron ore tailing impact on marine benthic macrofauna. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156205. [PMID: 35623525 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The Fundão dam failure, the worst environmental disaster in Brazilian history, launched 50 million m3 of iron ore tailings mud through the Doce River, reaching the Atlantic Ocean. Generally, mine tailings increase the sediment inflow, leading to mud burial of epibenthic macrofauna, and the raise of metal(oid)s concentration causing macrofauna long-term changes. After almost four years, tailings mud was still spreading on the Doce River Shelf, while impacts on marine macrofauna were still unknown. Herein, the IMS index (a tracer of Fundão dam tailings mud), sediment variables, organic pollutants, and metal(oid)s were integrated to uncover the drives of macrofauna structure from Costas da Algas to Abrolhos bank MPAs. Tailings mud was present only in Doce River Mouth and Degredo, organic pollutants and metal(oid)s above safety levels were concentrated in those same areas. Tailings mud (IMS index) drastically reduced species richness and diversity, favoring the abundance of opportunistic species. Mud, IMS index and Al, Ba, and V, metal(oid)s linked to dam failure, structured macrofauna composition in this impacted area, dominated by resistant groups as Nuculidae, Spionidae, and Magelonidae. Conversely, an opposite pattern was found for further and deeper sites with high CaCO3 content and total nitrogen that also showed large grain size, in areas known to harbour biogenic structures, sustaining a macrofauna composition distinct from the impacted areas, dominated by Syllidae and Crassatellidae, sensitives to impacts. Macrofauna composition was most structured by sediment variables, followed by the intersection between metal(oid)s-IMS and Mud, both gradients acting almost entirely on a broad spatial scale. Benthic macrofauna at the Doce River Shelf is still impacted by Fundão dam tailings mud, even after almost four years of the disaster, and may continue to, since the influx of tailings does not stop, and sediment resuspension is a recurrent source for those impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo Leandro Nascimento
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanografia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, ES, Brazil; Laboratório de Macroinvertebrados Bentônicos, Centro de Ciências Agrárias Ambientais e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Brazil
| | - Paulo Ricardo Alves
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanografia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, ES, Brazil; Laboratório de Invertebrados Marinho (LabinMar), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Maikon Di Domenico
- Centro de Estudos do Mar Universidade Federal do Paraná, Paraná, Campus Pontal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 61, 83255-976 Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil
| | - Adriane Araújo Braga
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Oceanografia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, ES, Brazil; Laboratório de Invertebrados Marinho (LabinMar), Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Paulo César de Paiva
- Laboratório de Polychaeta, Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcos Tadeu D'Azeredo Orlando
- Laboratório de Geociências Marinhas, Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Athur Sant'Ana Cavichini
- Laboratório de Geociências Marinhas, Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Cybelle Menolli Longhini
- Laboratório de Geoquímica Ambiental e Poluição Marinha, Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - César C Martins
- Centro de Estudos do Mar Universidade Federal do Paraná, Paraná, Campus Pontal do Paraná, Caixa Postal 61, 83255-976 Pontal do Paraná, PR, Brazil
| | - Renato Rodrigues Neto
- Laboratório de Geoquímica Ambiental e Poluição Marinha, Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Caroline Fiório Grilo
- Laboratório de Geociências Marinhas, Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | | | - Valeria da Silva Quaresma
- Laboratório de Geociências Marinhas, Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Eduardo S Costa
- Laboratório de Geoquímica Ambiental e Poluição Marinha, Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Renata Caiado Cagnin
- Laboratório de Geoquímica Ambiental e Poluição Marinha, Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Cesar Alexandro da Silva
- Laboratório de Geoquímica Ambiental e Poluição Marinha, Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Fabian Sá
- Laboratório de Geoquímica Ambiental e Poluição Marinha, Departamento de Oceanografia e Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Leila de Lourdes Longo
- Laboratório de Macroinvertebrados Bentônicos, Centro de Ciências Agrárias Ambientais e Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Brazil.
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Effects of Migration and Diffusion of Suspended Sediments on the Seabed Environment during Exploitation of Deep-Sea Polymetallic Nodules. WATER 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/w14132073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
With the increase in demand for metal resources, research on deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining has been reinvigorated, but the problem of its environmental impact cannot be ignored. No matter what method is used for mining, it will disturb the surface sediments of the seabed, thereby increasing the concentration of suspended solid particles and metal ions in the water body, changing the properties of the near-bottom water body and sediments, and affecting biological activity and the living environment. Focusing on the ecological and environmental impacts of deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining, taking as our main subject of focus the dynamic changes in sediments, we investigated the environmental impacts of nodule mining and their relationships with each other. On this basis, certain understandings are summarized relating to the ecological and environmental impacts of deep-sea polymetallic nodule mining, based on changes in the engineering geological properties of sediment, and solutions for current research problems are proposed.
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20
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Gambi C, Canals M, Corinaldesi C, Dell'Anno A, Manea E, Pusceddu A, Sanchez-Vidal A, Danovaro R. Impact of resuspended mine tailings on benthic biodiversity and ecosystem processes: The case study of Portmán Bay, Western Mediterranean Sea, Spain. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 301:119021. [PMID: 35192885 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Industrial seabed mining is expected to cause significant impacts on marine ecosystems, including physical disturbance and the generation of plumes of toxin-laden water. Portmán Bay (NW Mediterranean Sea), where an estimated amount of 60 Mt of mine tailings from sulphide ores were dumped from 1957 to 1990, is one of the most metal-polluted marine areas in Europe and worldwide. This bay can be used to assess the impact on marine ecosystems of particle settling from sediment plumes resulting from mine tailings resuspension. With this purpose in mind, we conducted a field experiment there to investigate subsequent effects of deposition of (artificially resuspended) contaminated sediments on (i) prokaryotic abundance and meiofaunal assemblages (in terms of abundance and diversity), (ii) the availability of trophic resources (in terms of organic matter biochemical composition), and (iii) a set of ecosystem functions including meiofaunal biomass, heterotrophic C production and C degradation rates. The results of this study show that mine tailings resuspension and plume deposition led to the decline of prokaryotic abundance and nematode's biodiversity. The later decreased because of species removal and transfer along with particle resuspension and plume deposition. Such changes were also associated to a decrease of the proteins content in the sediment organic matter, faster C degradation rates and higher prokaryotic C production. Overall, this study highlights that mine tailing resuspension and ensuing particle deposition can have deleterious effects on both prokaryotes and nematode diversity, alter biogeochemical cycles and accelerate C degradation rates. These results should be considered for the assessment of the potential effects of seabed mineral exploitation on marine ecosystems at large.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Gambi
- Università Politecnica Delle Marche, Dipartimento di Scienze Della Vita e Dell'Ambiente, 60131, Ancona, Italy.
| | - Miquel Canals
- University of Barcelona, CRG Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cinzia Corinaldesi
- Scienze e Ingegneria Della Materia, Dell'Ambiente Ed Urbanistica, Università Politecnica Delle Marche, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - Antonio Dell'Anno
- Università Politecnica Delle Marche, Dipartimento di Scienze Della Vita e Dell'Ambiente, 60131, Ancona, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Manea
- Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, ISMAR-CNR, Arsenale, Tesa 104, Castello 2737/F, 30122, Venice, Italy
| | - Antonio Pusceddu
- Università Degli Studi di Cagliari, Dipartimento di Scienze Della Vita e Dell'Ambiente, 09126, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Anna Sanchez-Vidal
- University of Barcelona, CRG Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roberto Danovaro
- Università Politecnica Delle Marche, Dipartimento di Scienze Della Vita e Dell'Ambiente, 60131, Ancona, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121, Napoli, Italy
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21
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Assessing the availability of trace metals and rare earth elements in deep ocean waters of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, NE Pacific: Application of an in situ DGT passive sampling method. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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22
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Katona S, Paulikas D, Stone GS. Ethical opportunities in deep-sea collection of polymetallic nodules from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2022; 18:634-654. [PMID: 34766726 PMCID: PMC9300171 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Infrastructure supporting the transition of human societies from fossil fuels to renewable energy will require hundreds of millions of tons of metals. Polymetallic nodules on the abyssal seabed of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), eastern North Pacific Ocean, could provide them. We focus on ethical considerations and opportunities available to the novel CCZ nodule-collection industry, integrating robust science with strong pillars of social and environmental responsibility. Ethical considerations include harm to sea life and recovery time, but also the value of human life, indigenous rights, rights of nature, animal rights, intrinsic values, and intangible ecosystem services. A "planetary perspective" considers the biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, extends beyond mineral extraction to a life-cycle view of impacts, and includes local, national, and global impacts and stakeholders. Stakeholders include direct nodule-collection actors, ocean conservationists, companies, communities, interest groups, nations, and citizens globally, plus counterfactual stakeholders involved with or affected by intensification of terrestrial mining if ocean metals are not used. Nodule collection would harm species and portions of ecosystems, but could have lower life-cycle impacts than terrestrial mining expansion, especially if nodule-metal producers explicitly design for it and stakeholders hold them accountable. Participants across the value chain can elevate the role of ethics in strategic objective setting, engineering design optimization, commitments to stakeholders, democratization of governance, and fostering of circular economies. The International Seabed Authority is called to establish equitable and transparent distribution of royalties and gains, and continue engaging scientists, economists, and experts from all spheres in optimizing deep-sea mineral extraction for humans and nature. Nodule collection presents a unique opportunity for an ambitious reset of ecological norms in a nascent industry. Embracing ethical opportunities can set an example for industrial-scale activities on land and sea, accelerate environmental gains through environmental competition with land ores, and hasten civilization's progress toward a sustainable future. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:634-654. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daina Paulikas
- Minerals, Materials and Society Program, Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences, Pearson HallUniversity of DelawareNewarkDelawareUSA
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23
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Gollner S, Haeckel M, Janssen F, Lefaible N, Molari M, Papadopoulou S, Reichart G, Trabucho Alexandre J, Vink A, Vanreusel A. Restoration experiments in polymetallic nodule areas. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2022; 18:682-696. [PMID: 34677903 PMCID: PMC9299087 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Deep-seabed polymetallic nodule mining can have multiple adverse effects on benthic communities, such as permanent loss of habitat by removal of nodules and habitat modification of sediments. One tool to manage biodiversity risks is the mitigation hierarchy, including avoidance, minimization of impacts, rehabilitation and/or restoration, and offset. We initiated long-term restoration experiments at sites in polymetallic nodule exploration contract areas in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone that were (i) cleared of nodules by a preprototype mining vehicle, (ii) disturbed by dredge or sledge, (iii) undisturbed, and (iv) naturally devoid of nodules. To accommodate for habitat loss, we deployed >2000 artificial ceramic nodules to study the possible effect of substrate provision on the recovery of biota and its impact on sediment biogeochemistry. Seventy-five nodules were recovered after eight weeks and had not been colonized by any sessile epifauna. All other nodules will remain on the seafloor for several years before recovery. Furthermore, to account for habitat modification of the top sediment layer, sediment in an epibenthic sledge track was loosened by a metal rake to test the feasibility of sediment decompaction to facilitate soft-sediment recovery. Analyses of granulometry and nutrients one month after sediment decompaction revealed that sand fractions are proportionally lower within the decompacted samples, whereas total organic carbon values are higher. Considering the slow natural recovery rates of deep-sea communities, these experiments represent the beginning of a ~30-year study during which we expect to gain insights into the nature and timing of the development of hard-substrate communities and the influence of nodules on the recovery of disturbed sediment communities. Results will help us understand adverse long-term effects of nodule removal, providing an evidence base for setting criteria for the definition of "serious harm" to the environment. Furthermore, accompanying research is needed to define a robust ecosystem baseline in order to effectively identify restoration success. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:682-696. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Gollner
- Department of Ocean SystemsRoyal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ)Den Burgthe Netherlands
| | | | - Felix Janssen
- HGF MPG Joint Research Group for Deep Sea Ecology and TechnologyAlfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI)BremerhavenGermany
- HGF MPG Joint Research Group for Deep Sea Ecology and TechnologyMax Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (MPI)BremenGermany
| | - Nene Lefaible
- Marine Biology Research GroupGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
| | - Massimiliano Molari
- HGF MPG Joint Research Group for Deep Sea Ecology and TechnologyMax Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (MPI)BremenGermany
| | | | - Gert‐Jan Reichart
- Department of Ocean SystemsRoyal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ)Den Burgthe Netherlands
| | | | - Annemiek Vink
- Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR)HannoverGermany
| | - Ann Vanreusel
- Marine Biology Research GroupGhent UniversityGhentBelgium
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24
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Reichelt-Brushett A, Hewitt J, Kaiser S, Kim RE, Wood R. Deep seabed mining and communities: A transdisciplinary approach to ecological risk assessment in the South Pacific. INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND MANAGEMENT 2022; 18:664-673. [PMID: 34396697 DOI: 10.1002/ieam.4509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Deep-sea mineral extraction is a fledgling industry whose guiding principles, legislation, protocols, and regulations are still evolving. Responsible management of the industry is difficult when it is not clearly understood what biological and environmental diversity or ecosystem services may be at risk. But the industry's infancy provides an opportunity to address this challenge by stakeholder-led development and implementation of a multidisciplinary risk assessment framework. This article aims to present the findings of a workshop held in New Zealand that hosted stakeholders from a broad range of interests and regions in the South Pacific associated with the deep-sea mineral activity. The outputs provide stakeholder-informed ecological risk assessment approaches for deep-sea mining activities, identifying tools and techniques to improve the relevance of risk assessment of deep seabed mining projects to communities in the South Pacific. Discussions highlighted the importance of trust or respect among stakeholders, valuing the "life force" of the ocean, the importance of scientific data, and the complications associated with defining acceptable change. This research highlighted the need for a holistic transdisciplinary approach that connects science, management, industry, and community, an approach most likely to provide a "social license" to operate. There is also a need to revise traditional risk assessment methods to make them more relevant to stakeholders. The development of ecotoxicological tools and approaches is an example of how existing practices could be improved to better support deep-sea mineral management. A case study is provided that highlights the current challenges within the legislative framework of New Zealand. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:664-673. © 2021 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Reichelt-Brushett
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Judi Hewitt
- National Institute of Water and Atmosphere (NIWA), Auckland, New Zealand
- Department of Statistics, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Stefanie Kaiser
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Hydrobiology, University of Lodz, Lodz, Poland
| | - Rakhyun E Kim
- Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Ray Wood
- Chatham Rock Phosphate, Wellington, New Zealand
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25
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Baza-Varas A, Canals M, Frigola J, Cerdà-Domènech M, Rodés N, Tarrés M, Sanchez-Vidal A. Multiproxy characterization of sedimentary facies in a submarine sulphide mine tailings dumping site and their environmental significance: The study case of Portmán Bay (SE Spain). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 810:151183. [PMID: 34715228 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mining activities are essential to our society, but ore extraction and treatment produce waste that must be stored in safe places without harm to the environment. For a long time, seafloor disposal has been viewed as a cheap option with barely visible impacts. In Portmán Bay, SE of Spain, large amounts of tailings from open pit sulphide mining were discharged directly into the coastal sea over 33 years, thus forming a massive deposit that completely infilled the bay and expanded seawards over the inner continental shelf. Here we present the first multiproxy physicochemical characterization of the submarine tailings in Portmán Bay, mostly by using non-destructive techniques, also including pre-dumping and post-dumping sediments. Eight distinct sedimentary facies, grouped in four stratigraphic units, have been thus identified in a set of up to 4.3 m long gravity cores totalling more than 60 m. Geogenic and anthropogenic geochemical proxies consistently allow differentiating pre-dumping sediments from tailings. Potentially toxic metals if made bioavailable can reach high concentrations in units including or formed exclusively by tailings (i.e. up to 3455, 2755 and 1007 mg kg-1 for Pb, As, and Zn, respectively). Some physical properties, such as magnetic susceptibility, are particularly useful as the tailings are rich in Fe-bearing minerals (>30% Fe in some layers). Estimated sedimentation rates show a strong gradient from proximal to distal locations, with rates in excess of 50 cm yr-1 to less than 1 cm yr-1. We ultimately document the history of the transformation of Portmán Bay from an almost natural state to a new condition after a long period of massive dumping of mine tailings. Our study provides guidance to further assessments in a context where the diversity of marine environments impacted by the disposal of mine waste is expected to grow in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Baza-Varas
- CRG Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, Earth Sciences Faculty, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miquel Canals
- CRG Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, Earth Sciences Faculty, University of Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Jaime Frigola
- CRG Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, Earth Sciences Faculty, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc Cerdà-Domènech
- CRG Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, Earth Sciences Faculty, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nil Rodés
- CRG Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, Earth Sciences Faculty, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Tarrés
- CRG Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, Earth Sciences Faculty, University of Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Sanchez-Vidal
- CRG Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, Earth Sciences Faculty, University of Barcelona, Spain
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26
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Sakellariadou F, Gonzalez FJ, Hein JR, Rincón-Tomás B, Arvanitidis N, Kuhn T. Seabed mining and blue growth: exploring the potential of marine mineral deposits as a sustainable source of rare earth elements (MaREEs) (IUPAC Technical Report). PURE APPL CHEM 2022. [DOI: 10.1515/pac-2021-0325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The expected growth of the global economy and the projected rise in world population call for a greatly increased supply of materials critical for implementing clean technologies, such as rare earth elements (REEs) and other rare metals. Because the demand for critical metals is increasing and land-based mineral deposits are being depleted, seafloor resources are seen as the next frontier for mineral exploration and extraction. Marine mineral deposits with a great resource potential for transition, rare, and critical metals include mainly deep-sea mineral deposits, such as polymetallic sulfides, polymetallic nodules, cobalt-rich crusts, phosphorites, and rare earth element-rich muds. Major areas with economic interest for seabed mineral exploration and mining are the following: nodules in the Penrhyn Basin-Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Clarion–Clipperton nodule Zone, Peru Basin nodules, and the Central Indian Ocean Basin; seafloor massive sulfide deposits in the exclusive economic zones of Papua New Guinea, Japan, and New Zealand as well as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the three Indian Ocean spreading ridges; cobalt-rich crusts in the Pacific Prime Crust Zone and the Canary Islands Seamounts and the Rio Grande Rise in the Atlantic Ocean; and the rare earth element-rich deep-sea muds around Minamitorishima Island in the equatorial North Pacific. In addition, zones for marine phosphorites exploration are located in Chatham Rise, offshore Baja California, and on the shelf off Namibia. Moreover, shallow-water resources, like placer deposits, represent another marine source for many critical minerals, metals, and gems. The main concerns of deep-sea mining are related to its environmental impacts. Ecological impacts of rare earth element mining on deep-sea ecosystems are still poorly evaluated. Furthermore, marine mining may cause conflicts with various stakeholders such as fisheries, communications cable owners, offshore wind farms, and tourism. The global ocean is an immense source of food, energy, raw materials, clean water, and ecosystem services and suffers seriously by multiple stressors from anthropogenic sources. The development of a blue economy strategy needs a better knowledge of the environmental impacts. By protecting vulnerable areas, applying new technologies for deep-sea mineral exploration and mining, marine spatial planning, and a regulatory framework for minerals extraction, we may achieve sustainable management and use of our oceans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fani Sakellariadou
- Department of Maritime Studies , University of Piraeus , Piraeus , Greece
| | | | - James R. Hein
- United States Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center , Santa Cruz , CA , USA
| | - Blanca Rincón-Tomás
- Institute for General Microbiology, Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel , Kiel , Germany
| | | | - Thomas Kuhn
- Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources , Hannover , Germany
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Jamieson AJ, Bond T, Vescovo V. No recovery of a large-scale anthropogenic sediment disturbance on the Pacific seafloor after 77 years at 6460 m depth. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2022; 175:113374. [PMID: 35092933 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Habitat restoration and recolonisation of benthic communities after physical perturbation in the deep sea has long been thought to be extremely slow. This study reports on a serendipitous opportunity to survey the current state of a large mechanical disturbance of sediments at 6460 m in the Pacific Ocean. The impact was caused 77 years ago by the sinking of the USS Johnston. The surrounding debris field had little impact on the sedimentary habitat, other than in the provision of artificial hard substrates, while the troughs that formed as the ship impacted the seafloor and slid down the slope of the Philippine Trench were still completely void of animal tracks and burrows, or any observable epifauna, and in some areas subsurface stratification was still exposed at the surface. This suggests that mechanical perturbations of sediments in the deep Pacific may remain ecologically significant for, at the very least, 100 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan J Jamieson
- Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, IOMRC Building M470, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
| | - Todd Bond
- Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre, School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, The University of Western Australia, IOMRC Building M470, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Victor Vescovo
- Caladan Oceanic LLC, 1400 Civic Place #250, Southlake, TX 76092, USA
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28
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Understanding the Impacts of Blue Economy Growth on Deep-Sea Ecosystem Services. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su132212478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The deep sea is the vastest environment on Earth and provides many services and goods. Understanding the services and goods of deep-sea ecosystems would enable better resource governance and decision-making. In the present study, we reviewed and assessed deep-sea ecosystems services using the Ma conceptual framework, which incorporates ecosystems services and goods with human welfare. We also analyzed and measured the scientific production between 2012 and 2021 using the Dimension dataset. The bibliometric analysis showed a lack of studies related to deep-sea ecosystem services, which suggest the urgent need to overcome the existing knowledge gap regarding deep-sea components. However, the current knowledge revealed the crucial role that these ecosystems provide to the planet. Furthermore, we highlighted that there are common services and goods, and every ecosystem service feeds into another one. Developing actions and policies based on approaches that combine all deep-sea ecosystems services and goods are needed for the sustainable growth of the deep-sea economy in accordance with the United Nations Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.
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Gerdes K, Kihara TC, Martínez Arbizu P, Kuhn T, Schwarz-Schampera U, Mah CL, Norenburg JL, Linley TD, Shalaeva K, Macpherson E, Gordon D, Stöhr S, Messing CG, Bober S, Guggolz T, Christodoulou M, Gebruk A, Kremenetskaia A, Kroh A, Sanamyan K, Bolstad K, Hoffman L, Gooday AJ, Molodtsova T. Megafauna of the German exploration licence area for seafloor massive sulphides along the Central and South East Indian Ridge (Indian Ocean). Biodivers Data J 2021; 9:e69955. [PMID: 34720635 PMCID: PMC8516849 DOI: 10.3897/bdj.9.e69955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The growing interest in mineral resources of the deep sea, such as seafloor massive sulphide deposits, has led to an increasing number of exploration licences issued by the International Seabed Authority. In the Indian Ocean, four licence areas exist, resulting in an increasing number of new hydrothermal vent fields and the discovery of new species. Most studies focus on active venting areas including their ecology, but the non-vent megafauna of the Central Indian Ridge and South East Indian Ridge remains poorly known. In the framework of the Indian Ocean Exploration project in the German license area for seafloor massive sulphides, baseline imagery and sampling surveys were conducted yearly during research expeditions from 2013 to 2018, using video sledges and Remotely Operated Vehicles. New information This is the first report of an imagery collection of megafauna from the southern Central Indian- and South East Indian Ridge, reporting the taxonomic richness and their distribution. A total of 218 taxa were recorded and identified, based on imagery, with additional morphological and molecular confirmed identifications of 20 taxa from 89 sampled specimens. The compiled fauna catalogue is a synthesis of megafauna occurrences aiming at a consistent morphological identification of taxa and showing their regional distribution. The imagery data were collected during multiple research cruises in different exploration clusters of the German licence area, located 500 km north of the Rodriguez Triple Junction along the Central Indian Ridge and 500 km southeast of it along the Southeast Indian Ridge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klaas Gerdes
- INES - Integrated Environmental Solutions, Wilhelmshaven, Germany INES - Integrated Environmental Solutions Wilhelmshaven Germany
| | - Terue Cristina Kihara
- INES - Integrated Environmental Solutions, Wilhelmshaven, Germany INES - Integrated Environmental Solutions Wilhelmshaven Germany
| | - Pedro Martínez Arbizu
- Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research Wilhelmshaven Germany
| | - Thomas Kuhn
- Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Hannover, Germany Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources Hannover Germany
| | - Ulrich Schwarz-Schampera
- International Seabed Authority, Kingston, Jamaica International Seabed Authority Kingston Jamaica
| | - Christopher L Mah
- Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States of America Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History Washington, DC United States of America
| | - Jon L Norenburg
- Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States of America Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History Washington, DC United States of America
| | - Thomas D Linley
- Newcastle University, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle, United Kingdom Newcastle University, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences Newcastle United Kingdom
| | - Kate Shalaeva
- Natural History Museum London, London, United Kingdom Natural History Museum London London United Kingdom
| | - Enrique Macpherson
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes (CEAB), Blanes, Girona, Spain Centro de Estudios Avanzados de Blanes (CEAB) Blanes, Girona Spain
| | - Dennis Gordon
- NIWA, Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand NIWA Newmarket, Auckland New Zealand
| | - Sabine Stöhr
- Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, Sweden Swedish Museum of Natural History Stockholm Sweden
| | - Charles G Messing
- Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Nova Southeastern University, Dania Beach, United States of America Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Nova Southeastern University Dania Beach United States of America
| | - Simon Bober
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany University of Hamburg Hamburg Germany
| | - Theresa Guggolz
- University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany University of Hamburg Hamburg Germany
| | - Magdalini Christodoulou
- Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research Wilhelmshaven Germany
| | - Andrey Gebruk
- P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Moscow, Russia P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology Moscow Russia
| | - Antonina Kremenetskaia
- P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Moscow, Russia P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology Moscow Russia
| | - Andreas Kroh
- Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria Naturhistorisches Museum Vienna Austria
| | - Karen Sanamyan
- Far-Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia Far-Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Russia
| | - Kathrin Bolstad
- Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand Auckland University of Technology Auckland New Zealand
| | - Leon Hoffman
- Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research, Wilhelmshaven, Germany Senckenberg am Meer, German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research Wilhelmshaven Germany
| | - Andrew J Gooday
- National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus, Southampton, United Kingdom National Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton Waterfront Campus Southampton United Kingdom
| | - Tina Molodtsova
- P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Moscow, Russia P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology Moscow Russia
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Potential impacts of polymetallic nodule removal on deep-sea meiofauna. Sci Rep 2021; 11:19996. [PMID: 34620971 PMCID: PMC8497503 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99441-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep seabed mining is potentially imminent in the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ; northeast Pacific). Seabed collectors will remove polymetallic nodules and the surrounding surface sediments, both inhabited by meiofauna, along their path. To determine potential impacts of polymetallic nodule removal, we investigated the importance of nodule presence for the abundance, composition and diversity of sediment meiofauna, and evaluated the existence and composition of nodule crevice meiofauna in the Global Sea Mineral Resources (GSR) exploration contract area. Nodule-free and nodule-rich sediments displayed high biodiversity with many singletons and doubletons, potentially representing rare taxa. Nodule presence negatively influenced sediment meiofaunal abundances but did not markedly affect taxonomic composition or diversity. This is the first report on CCFZ nodule crevice meiofauna, whose abundance related positively to nodule dimensions. Though dominated by the same taxa, nodules and sediments differed regarding the taxonomic and trophic composition of the meio- and nematofauna. Nevertheless, there were no taxa endemic to the nodule crevices and nodule crevice meiofauna added only little to total small-scale (~ cm) meiofaunal abundance and diversity. We formulated environmental management recommendations at the contract area and regional (CCFZ) scale related to sampling effort, set-aside preservation and monitoring areas, and potential rehabilitation measures.
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Bourrin F, Uusõue M, Artigas MC, Sànchez-Vidal A, Aubert D, Menniti C, Klar J. Release of particles and metals into seawater following sediment resuspension of a coastal mine tailings disposal off Portmán Bay, Southern Spain. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:47973-47990. [PMID: 33899144 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14006-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Portmán Bay in Southern Spain is one of the most extreme cases in Europe of anthropogenic impact on the marine ecosystem by the disposal of mine tailings resulting from the processing of sulphide ores. First, the composition and extent of the surficial deposit were investigated from geochemical and metal analysis on high spatial density of sediment samples. Then, a disturbance experiment was conducted in the coastal area off Portmán Bay in order to investigate the potential impact of mining activities on marine ecosystems. Two research vessels were used for that experiment, one performing as a trawler resuspending bottom sediments while the other monitor the behaviour of turbid plumes thus generated and the evolution of their characteristics through time by using a range of acoustic and optical tools together with water and bottom sediment sampling for biogeochemical and metal analyses. The surficial part of the submarine extension of the mine tailings deposit is highly concentrated in As, Cd, Pb, Fe and Zn with peak concentrations adjacent to the present coastline, from where they decrease seawards before reaching average values for the Mediterranean Sea around 50-m water depth. The artificially triggered resuspension of the surface layer of the deposit led to the formation of resuspension plume about 100 m in width and up to 6 m in height. Resuspended plume was composed of fine particles which rapidly aggregated into flocs of 100 μm. While the biggest particles settled rapidly, the finest fraction remained in suspension during at least 3 h. Resuspended sediment and metal concentrations in particles remained at relatively high levels throughout the experiments following triggering. Fe, Pb, and As concentrations in resuspended particles showed a continuous increase while trawling before decreasing in parallel with the settling down of the resuspended sediments. Those metals have higher affinity with fine particles than with coarse ones, so that while the coarsest fraction from sediment plumes settled first, the finest fraction remained in suspension thus increasing the metals/sediments concentration ratio. On the other hand, Cd and Zn concentrations in suspended particles did not change significantly over time, which is thought to be caused by the fast dissolution of such metals in seawater. Beyond waste dumping itself, the observed increase in some metals in marine particulate material could have a significant impact on the adjacent coastal ecosystems due to their toxicity above certain thresholds. The consequences of the resuspension experiment here presented can be extrapolated to the impact of seafloor mining activities leading to the resuspension of metal-rich particle plumes into the water column. The experimental set-up presented here may be further explored for investigating metal behaviour during seafloor mining activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Bourrin
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, CNRS UMR 5110, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan Cedex, France.
| | - Mirjam Uusõue
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, CNRS UMR 5110, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan Cedex, France
- Tartu Observatory, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Tartu, Observatooriumi 1, Tõravere, 61602, Tartumaa, Estonia
| | - Miquel Canals Artigas
- CRG Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Sànchez-Vidal
- CRG Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, Faculty of Earth Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dominique Aubert
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, CNRS UMR 5110, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan Cedex, France
| | - Christophe Menniti
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, CNRS UMR 5110, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan Cedex, France
| | - Jessica Klar
- Université de Perpignan Via Domitia, Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, CNRS UMR 5110, 52 Avenue Paul Alduy, 66860, Perpignan Cedex, France
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Zwerschke N, Morley SA, Peck LS, Barnes DKA. Can Antarctica's shallow zoobenthos 'bounce back' from iceberg scouring impacts driven by climate change? GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:3157-3165. [PMID: 33861505 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
All coastal systems experience disturbances and many across the planet are under unprecedented threat from an intensification of a variety of stressors. The West Antarctic Peninsula is a hotspot of physical climate change and has experienced a dramatic loss of sea-ice and glaciers in recent years. Among other things, sea-ice immobilizes icebergs, reducing collisions between icebergs and the seabed, thus decreasing ice-scouring. Ice disturbance drives patchiness in successional stages across seabed assemblages in Antarctica's shallows, making this an ideal system to understand the ecosystem resilience to increasing disturbance with climate change. We monitored a shallow benthic ecosystem before, during and after a 3-year pulse of catastrophic ice-scouring events and show that such systems can return, or bounce back, to previous states within 10 years. Our long-term data series show that recovery can happen more rapidly than expected, when disturbances abate, even in highly sensitive cold, polar environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadescha Zwerschke
- British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK
- Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Aberdeen, UK
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Marticorena J, Matabos M, Ramirez-Llodra E, Cathalot C, Laes-Huon A, Leroux R, Hourdez S, Donval JP, Sarrazin J. Recovery of hydrothermal vent communities in response to an induced disturbance at the Lucky Strike vent field (Mid-Atlantic Ridge). MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 168:105316. [PMID: 33992969 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2021.105316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
So far, the natural recovery of vent communities at large scales has only been evaluated at fast spreading centers, by monitoring faunal recolonisation after volcanic eruptions. However, at slow spreading ridges, opportunities to observe natural disturbances are rare, the overall hydrothermal system being more stable. In this study, we implemented a novel experimental approach by inducing a small-scale disturbance to assess the recovery potential of vent communities along the slow-spreading northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (nMAR). We followed the recovery patterns of thirteen Bathymodiolus azoricus mussel assemblages colonising an active vent edifice at the Lucky Strike vent field, in relation to environmental conditions and assessed the role of biotic interactions in recolonisation dynamics. Within 2 years after the disturbance, almost all taxonomic richness had recovered, with the exception of a few low occurrence species. However, we observed only a partial recovery of faunal densities and a major change in faunal composition characterised by an increase in abundance of gastropod species, which are hypothesised to be the pioneer colonists of these habitats. Although not significant, our results suggest a potential role of mobile predators in early-colonisation stages. A model of post-disturbance succession for nMAR vent communities from habitat opening to climax assemblages is proposed, also highlighting numerous knowledge gaps. This type of experimental approach, combined with dispersal and connectivity analyses, will contribute to fully assess the resilience of active vent communities after a major disturbance, especially along slow spreading centers targeted for seafloor massive sulphide extraction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - M Matabos
- Ifremer, REM/EEP/LEP, F 29280 Plouzané, France.
| | - E Ramirez-Llodra
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Gaustadalleen 21, 0349 Oslo, Norway; REV Ocean, Oksenøyveien 10, 1366 Lysaker, Norway
| | - C Cathalot
- Ifremer, REM/GM/LCG, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - A Laes-Huon
- Ifremer, REM/RDT/LDCM, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - R Leroux
- Research Centre for Watershed-Aquatic Ecosystem Interactions, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, QC G9A 5H7, Canada
| | - S Hourdez
- Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer, UMR 8222 CNRS-SU, 1 avenue Pierre Fabre, 66650, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - J-P Donval
- Ifremer, REM/GM/LCG, F-29280 Plouzané, France
| | - J Sarrazin
- Ifremer, REM/EEP/LEP, F 29280 Plouzané, France.
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Préat N, Lefaible N, Alvarenga RAF, Taelman SE, Dewulf J. Development of a life cycle impact assessment framework accounting for biodiversity in deep seafloor ecosystems: A case study on the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 770:144747. [PMID: 33736364 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The transformation of ecosystems is known to be a major driver of biodiversity loss. Consequently, supporting tools such as life cycle assessment methods (LCA) include this aspect in the evaluation of a product's environmental performance. Such methods consist of quantifying input and output flows to assess their specific contributions to impact categories. Therefore, land occupation and transformation are considered as inputs to assess biodiversity impacts amongst others. However, the modelling of biodiversity impact in deep seafloor ecosystems is still lacking in LCA. Most of the LCA methods focus on terrestrial biodiversity and none of them can be transposed to benthic deep sea because of knowledge gaps. This manuscript proposes a LCA framework to assess biodiversity impacts in deep seafloor ecosystems. The framework builds upon the existing methods accounting for biodiversity impacts in terrestrial and coastal habitats. A two-step approach is proposed, assessing impacts on regional and on global biodiversity. While the evaluation of regional biodiversity impacts relies only on the benthic communities' response to disturbance, the global perspective considers ecosystem vulnerability and scarcity. Those provide additional perspective for the comparison of impacts occurring in different ecosystems. The framework is operationalised to a case study for deep-sea mining in the Clarion Clipperton Fractures Zone (CCZ). Through the large variety of data sources needed to run the impact evaluation modelling, the framework shows consistency and manages the existing limitations in the understanding of deep seafloor ecosystems, although limitations for its application in the CCZ were observed mainly due to the lack of finer scaled habitat maps and data on connectivity. With growing interest for commercial activities in the deep sea and hence, increased environmental research, this work is a first attempt for the implementation of LCA methods to deep-sea products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Préat
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Nene Lefaible
- Department of Biology, Marine Biology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281/S8, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rodrigo A F Alvarenga
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sue Ellen Taelman
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jo Dewulf
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
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Thatje S. Ethical considerations surrounding deep-sea mining do matter. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 36:674-675. [PMID: 33975760 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sven Thatje
- Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, European Way, Southampton SO143ZH, UK.
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Deep Seabed Mining: A Note on Some Potentials and Risks to the Sustainable Mineral Extraction from the Oceans. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse9050521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The rapidly increasing global populations and socio-economic development in the Global South have resulted in rising demand for natural resources. There are many plans for harvesting natural resources from the ocean floor, especially rare metals and minerals. However, if proper care is not taken, there is substantial potential for long-lasting and even irreversible physical and environmental impacts on the deep-sea ecosystems, including on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This paper reviews the literature on some potentials and risks to deep seabed mining (DSM), outlining its legal aspects and environmental impacts. It presents two case studies that describe the environmental risks related to this exploitative process. They include significant disturbance of the seabed, light and noise pollution, the creation of plumes, and negative impacts on the surface, benthic, and meso- and bathypelagic zones. The study suggests some of the issues interested companies should consider in preventing the potential physical and environmental damages DSM may cause. Sustainable mining and the use of minerals are vital in meeting various industrial demands.
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Pinheiro M, Oliveira A, Barros S, Alves N, Raimundo J, Caetano M, Coimbra J, Neuparth T, Santos MM. Functional, biochemical and molecular impact of sediment plumes from deep-sea mining on Mytilus galloprovincialis under hyperbaric conditions. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 195:110753. [PMID: 33485911 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The deep-sea is the biggest ecosystem in the world and despite the extreme conditions that characterize it, is highly biodiverse and complex. Deep-sea mining has been foreseen as a potential and concerning new stressor, and among the deep-sea mining associated stressors, sediment plumes, likely to be released into the water column as a side effect of mining, can reach habitats within a radius of more than a hundred kilometers. The present study examined the effects of suspended sediments of different grain sizes (63-125 μm, 125-250 μm and 250-500 μm) in the model species Mytilus galloprovincialis, at 4 bar, as a proxy to address the potential effects of sediment plumes, in the water column, with different grain sizes under high pressure conditions. Functional (filtration rate - FR), biochemical (catalase - CAT, glutathione s-transferase - GST, lipid peroxidation - LPO) and molecular (gene expression of [actin (ACTN), glutathione S-transferase alpha (GSTA), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), catalase (CAT), heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), cytochrome c oxidase (COI) and DNA mismatch repair protein (MSH6)]) endpoints were studied in juvenile organisms. The FR decreased significantly for all tested grain size ranges, with a more severe effect for the particles with a diameter between 63 and 125 μm. In addition to the FR, significant changes were also observed for all tested biomarkers. Gene expression was significantly downregulated for CAT and ACTN. Overall, this study demonstrated that the smaller sized particles are the ones leading to more severe effects. Given their high dispersion potential and longer suspension periods under mining operation scenarios, particular attention should be given to the release of sediment plumes that may affect deep-sea environments and the water column. It is, therefore, vital to create standards and guidelines for sustainable mining practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Pinheiro
- CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Avenida General Norton de Matos S/N, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP - Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre S/N, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Adriana Oliveira
- FCUP - Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre S/N, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Susana Barros
- CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Avenida General Norton de Matos S/N, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; CITAB - Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences, Quinta de Prados - Ed. Blocos Laboratoriais C1.10, 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal
| | - Nélson Alves
- CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Avenida General Norton de Matos S/N, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Joana Raimundo
- CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Avenida General Norton de Matos S/N, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; IPMA - Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere, Rua Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1495-165, Algés, Portugal
| | - Miguel Caetano
- CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Avenida General Norton de Matos S/N, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; IPMA - Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere, Rua Alfredo Magalhães Ramalho 6, 1495-165, Algés, Portugal
| | - João Coimbra
- CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Avenida General Norton de Matos S/N, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Teresa Neuparth
- CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Avenida General Norton de Matos S/N, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal
| | - Miguel M Santos
- CIIMAR - Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Avenida General Norton de Matos S/N, 4450-208, Matosinhos, Portugal; FCUP - Faculty of Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre S/N, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal.
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Kaiser S, Kihara TC, Brix S, Mohrbeck I, Janssen A, Jennings RM. Species boundaries and phylogeographic patterns in new species of Nannoniscus (Janiroidea: Nannoniscidae) from the equatorial Pacific nodule province inferred from mtDNA and morphology. Zool J Linn Soc 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Spatial patterns of genetic variation (based on COI and 16S mtDNA) for morphologically similar species in the isopod genus Nannoniscus G.O. Sars. 1870 were examined that occur broadly across the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCZ). Samples were obtained from five different licence areas as well as an Area of Particular Environmental Interest (APEI-6) with sites located at various distances (a few to several hundred kilometres) from one another. Applying three different species delimitation (SD) methods (sGMYC, mPTP and ABGD) of the molecular data, we could distinguish between four and 12 different molecular taxonomic operational units (MOTUs). Morphological analyses could confirm five distinct phenotypic clades that represent species new to science and are described here: Nannoniscus brenkei sp. nov., Nannoniscus hilario sp. nov., Nannoniscus magdae sp. nov., Nannoniscus menoti sp. nov. and Nannoniscus pedro sp. nov. Despite the assumed limited dispersal capacity of Nannoniscus species, we found haplotypes of two species to be geographically widespread (up to > 1400 km apart), as opposed to several divergent clades occurring in close vicinity or even sympatry. Geographic distance appeared to explain the phylogeographic structure of Nannoniscus species to some extent, although oceanographic features and level of environmental heterogeneity were probably equally important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Kaiser
- German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, c/o Center of Natural History (CeNak), Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz, Hamburg, Germany
- CeNak, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Terue Cristina Kihara
- German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Südstrand, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
- INES Integrated Environmental Solutions UG, Südstrand, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Saskia Brix
- German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, c/o Center of Natural History (CeNak), Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Inga Mohrbeck
- German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Südstrand, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Annika Janssen
- German Centre for Marine Biodiversity Research (DZMB), Senckenberg am Meer, Südstrand, Wilhelmshaven, Germany
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Guo X, Zhang T, Jin M, Zeng R. Characterization of Bacillus phage Gxv1, a novel lytic Salasvirus phage isolated from deep-sea seamount sediments. MARINE LIFE SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 3:13-19. [PMID: 37073390 PMCID: PMC10077186 DOI: 10.1007/s42995-020-00074-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Seamounts are hotspots for marine life, but to date, no bacteriophages have been reported. Here, a novel Bacillus podophage (named as Bacillus phage Gxv1) was isolated from deep-sea seamount sediments of the western Pacific Ocean (~ 5790 m). Phage Gxv1 has a hexameric head ~ 42-53 nm in diameter and a short tail of ~ 30 nm long, which is a typical feature of the Podoviridae family. One-step curve analysis showed that Gxv1 is a lytic phage that can initiate host lysis within 3.5 h post-infection, and has a relatively large burst size. The 21,781-bp genome contains 34 predicted genes, and the G + C content of phage Gxv1 is 39.69%. Whole-genome comparison of phage Gxv1 with known bacteriophages, using BlastN analysis against the IMG/VR database, revealed that phage Gxv1 is closely related to Bacillus phage phi29 that infects Bacillus subtilis, and their genome-wide similarity is 93.62%. Phylogenetic analysis based on DNA polymerase showed that phage Gxv1 belongs to the Salasvirus genus. Multiple genome alignment showed that phage Gxv1 shares a high level of sequence similarity and common gene order with Bacillus phage phi29. However, some sequences are unique to phage Gxv1, and this region contains genes encoding DNA packing protein, DNA replication protein, and unknown protein. These sequences exhibit low sequence similarity to known bacteriophages, highlighting an unknown origin of these sequences. This study will help improve our understanding of the Salasvirus genus and phage diversity in deep-sea seamounts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xun Guo
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resource, Ministry of Natural Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Xiamen, 361005 China
| | - Tianyou Zhang
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resource, Ministry of Natural Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Xiamen, 361005 China
| | - Min Jin
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resource, Ministry of Natural Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Xiamen, 361005 China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000 China
| | - Runying Zeng
- State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Marine Genetic Resource, Ministry of Natural Resources, Third Institute of Oceanography, Xiamen, 361005 China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), Zhuhai, 519000 China
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Mullineaux LS, Mills SW, Le Bris N, Beaulieu SE, Sievert SM, Dykman LN. Prolonged recovery time after eruptive disturbance of a deep-sea hydrothermal vent community. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20202070. [PMID: 33352072 PMCID: PMC7779506 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep-sea hydrothermal vents are associated with seafloor tectonic and magmatic activity, and the communities living there are subject to disturbance. Eruptions can be frequent and catastrophic, raising questions about how these communities persist and maintain regional biodiversity. Prior studies of frequently disturbed vents have led to suggestions that faunal recovery can occur within 2–4 years. We use an unprecedented long-term (11-year) series of colonization data following a catastrophic 2006 seafloor eruption on the East Pacific Rise to show that faunal successional changes continue beyond a decade following the disturbance. Species composition at nine months post-eruption was conspicuously different than the pre-eruption ‘baseline' state, which had been characterized in 1998 (85 months after disturbance by the previous 1991 eruption). By 96 months post-eruption, species composition was approaching the pre-eruption state, but continued to change up through to the end of our measurements at 135 months, indicating that the ‘baseline' state was not a climax community. The strong variation observed in species composition across environmental gradients and successional stages highlights the importance of long-term, distributed sampling in order to understand the consequences of disturbance for maintenance of a diverse regional species pool. This perspective is critical for characterizing the resilience of vent species to both natural disturbance and human impacts such as deep-sea mining.
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Affiliation(s)
- L S Mullineaux
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - S W Mills
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - N Le Bris
- CNRS-Sorbonne Université, Benthic Ecogeochemistry Laboratory, Banyuls-sur-Mer, France
| | - S E Beaulieu
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - S M Sievert
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
| | - L N Dykman
- Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
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41
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Meiofauna in a Potential Deep-Sea Mining Area—Influence of Temporal and Spatial Variability on Small-Scale Abundance Models. DIVERSITY 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d13010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In large areas of the Clarion Clipperton Fracture Zone (northeast Pacific), exploration of deep-sea polymetallic nodules as a potential source of high-technology metals is ongoing. Deep-sea mining may have a severe impact on the benthic communities. Here, we investigated meiofauna communities in the abyss at the scale of a prospective mining operation area. Random forest regressions were computed to spatially predict continuous layers of environmental variables as well as the distribution of meiofauna abundance across the area. Significant models could be computed for 26 sediment and polymetallic nodule parameters. Meiofauna abundance, taxon richness and diversity were also modelled, as well as abundance of the taxon Nematoda. Spatial correlation is high if the predictions of meiofauna are either based on bathymetry and backscatter or include sediment and nodule variables; Pearson’s correlation coefficient varies between 0.42 and 0.91. Comparison of differences in meiofauna abundance between different years shows that spatial patterns do change, with an elevated abundance of meiofauna in the eastern part of the study area in 2013. On the spatial scale of a potential mining operation, distribution models prove to be a useful tool to gain insight into both temporal variability and the influence of potential environmental drivers on meiofauna distribution.
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42
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Laroche O, Kersten O, Smith CR, Goetze E. Environmental DNA surveys detect distinct metazoan communities across abyssal plains and seamounts in the western Clarion Clipperton Zone. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:4588-4604. [PMID: 32452072 PMCID: PMC7754508 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The deep seafloor serves as a reservoir of biodiversity in the global ocean, with >80% of invertebrates at abyssal depths still undescribed. These diverse and remote deep-sea communities are critically under-sampled and increasingly threatened by anthropogenic impacts, including future polymetallic nodule mining. Using a multigene environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding approach, we characterized metazoan communities sampled from sediments, polymetallic nodules and seawater in the western Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) to test the hypotheses that deep seamounts (a) are species richness hotspots in the abyss, (b) have structurally distinct communities in comparison to other deep-sea habitats, and (c) that seafloor particulate organic carbon (POC) flux and polymetallic nodule density are positively correlated with metazoan diversity. eDNA metabarcoding was effective at characterizing distinct biotas known to occur in association with different abyssal substrate types (e.g., nodule- and sediment-specific fauna), with distinct community composition and few taxa shared across substrates. Seamount faunas had higher overall taxonomic richness, and different community composition and biogeography than adjacent abyssal plains, with seamount communities displaying less connectivity between regions than comparable assemblages on the abyssal plains. Across an estimated gradient of low to moderate POC flux, we find lowest taxon richness at the lowest POC flux, as well as an effect of nodule size on community composition. Our results suggest that while abyssal seamounts are important reservoirs of metazoan diversity in the CCZ, given limited taxonomic overlap between seamount and plains fauna, conservation of seamount assemblages will be insufficient to protect biodiversity and ecosystem function in regions targeted for mining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Laroche
- Department of OceanographySchool of Ocean and Earth Science and TechnologyUniversity of Hawaii at MānoaHonoluluHIUSA
| | - Oliver Kersten
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary SynthesisUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Craig R. Smith
- Department of OceanographySchool of Ocean and Earth Science and TechnologyUniversity of Hawaii at MānoaHonoluluHIUSA
| | - Erica Goetze
- Department of OceanographySchool of Ocean and Earth Science and TechnologyUniversity of Hawaii at MānoaHonoluluHIUSA
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Smith CR, Tunnicliffe V, Colaço A, Drazen JC, Gollner S, Levin LA, Mestre NC, Metaxas A, Molodtsova TN, Morato T, Sweetman AK, Washburn T, Amon DJ. Environmental Protection Requires Accurate Application of Scientific Evidence. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 36:14-15. [PMID: 33199049 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Craig R Smith
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA.
| | - Verena Tunnicliffe
- Department of Biology and School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Ana Colaço
- Instituto do Mar - Okeanos Research Centre, University of the Azores, 9901-842 Horta, Azores, Portugal
| | - Jeffrey C Drazen
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Sabine Gollner
- Department of Ocean Systems, Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, Den Burg, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa A Levin
- Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0218, USA
| | - Nelia C Mestre
- Centre for Marine and Environmental Research (CIMA), Universidade do Algarve, Faro, Portugal
| | - Anna Metaxas
- Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Tina N Molodtsova
- P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117997 Moscow, Russia
| | - Telmo Morato
- Instituto do Mar - Okeanos Research Centre, University of the Azores, 9901-842 Horta, Azores, Portugal
| | - Andrew K Sweetman
- The Lyell Centre for Earth and Marine Science and Technology, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, EH14 4AS, UK
| | - Travis Washburn
- Department of Oceanography, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA
| | - Diva J Amon
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK
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Smith CR, Tunnicliffe V, Colaço A, Drazen JC, Gollner S, Levin LA, Mestre NC, Metaxas A, Molodtsova TN, Morato T, Sweetman AK, Washburn T, Amon DJ. Deep-Sea Misconceptions Cause Underestimation of Seabed-Mining Impacts. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 35:853-857. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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45
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Goode SL, Rowden AA, Bowden DA, Clark MR. Resilience of seamount benthic communities to trawling disturbance. MARINE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2020; 161:105086. [PMID: 32889447 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2020.105086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Despite bottom trawling being the most widespread, severe disturbance affecting deep-sea environments, it remains uncertain whether recovery is possible once trawling has ceased. Here, we review information regarding the resilience of seamount benthic communities to trawling. We focus on seamounts because benthic communities associated with these features are especially vulnerable to trawling as they are often dominated by emergent, sessile epifauna, and trawling on seamounts can be highly concentrated. We perform a meta-analysis to investigate whether any taxa demonstrate potential for recovery once trawling has ceased. Our findings indicate that mean total abundance can gradually increase after protection measures are placed, although taxa exhibit various responses, from no recovery to intermediate/high recovery, resistance, or signs of early colonisation. We use our results to recommend directions for future research to improve our understanding of the resilience of seamount benthic communities, and thereby inform the management of trawling impacts on these ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah L Goode
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand; Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
| | - Ashley A Rowden
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand; Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - David A Bowden
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Malcolm R Clark
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand
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46
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Gambi C, Canals M, Corinaldesi C, Dell'Anno A, Manea E, Pusceddu A, Sanchez-Vidal A, Danovaro R. Impact of historical sulfide mine tailings discharge on meiofaunal assemblages (Portmán Bay, Mediterranean Sea). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 736:139641. [PMID: 32474268 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Portmán Bay is one of the most contaminated and chronically impacted coastal marine areas of the world. Here, from the 1957 to 1990, about 60 million tons of mine tailings from the processing of sulfide ores were dumped directly at the shoreline. The resulting deposit provides a unique opportunity to assess the impact of mine tailings on coastal marine ecosystems after ca 30 years since the discharge has ceased. We investigated meiofaunal abundance, biomass and biodiversity along a gradient of metal concentration that overlaps with a bathymetric gradient from 30 to 60 m depth. Despite the localized presence of extremely high concentration of metals, the bay was not a biological desert, but, nevertheless, was characterized by evident signs of impact on benthic diversity. Meiofaunal variables increased significantly with decreasing metal contamination, eventually reaching values comparable to other uncontaminated coastal sediments. Our results show that mine tailings influenced the spatial distribution of meiofaunal taxa and nematode species composition. In particular, we report here that the bay was characterized by the dominance of nematode opportunistic species tolerant to high metal concentration. The effects of mine tailing discharge on meiofaunal biodiversity and composition were still evident ca 30 years after the end of the mining activities. Overall, this study provides new insights on the potential impact of mine tailings disposal and metal contamination in coastal sediments, and, can also contribute to predict the potential long-term consequences of ever-expanding deep-sea mining industry on benthic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Gambi
- Università Politecnica delle Marche, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, 60131 Ancona, Italy.
| | - Miquel Canals
- University of Barcelona, CRG Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cinzia Corinaldesi
- Università Politecnica delle Marche, Scienze e Ingegneria della Materia, dell'Ambiente ed Urbanistica, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Antonio Dell'Anno
- Università Politecnica delle Marche, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, 60131 Ancona, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Manea
- Istituto di Scienze Marine, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, CNR-ISMAR, Tesa 104 - Arsenale, Castello 2737/F, 30122 Venice, Italy
| | - Antonio Pusceddu
- Università di Cagliari, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, 09126 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Anna Sanchez-Vidal
- University of Barcelona, CRG Marine Geosciences, Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roberto Danovaro
- Università Politecnica delle Marche, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, 60131 Ancona, Italy; Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121 Napoli, Italy
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47
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Laroche O, Kersten O, Smith CR, Goetze E. Environmental DNA surveys detect distinct metazoan communities across abyssal plains and seamounts in the western Clarion Clipperton Zone. Mol Ecol 2020. [PMID: 32452072 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15484[epub] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The deep seafloor serves as a reservoir of biodiversity in the global ocean, with >80% of invertebrates at abyssal depths still undescribed. These diverse and remote deep-sea communities are critically under-sampled and increasingly threatened by anthropogenic impacts, including future polymetallic nodule mining. Using a multigene environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding approach, we characterized metazoan communities sampled from sediments, polymetallic nodules and seawater in the western Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) to test the hypotheses that deep seamounts (a) are species richness hotspots in the abyss, (b) have structurally distinct communities in comparison to other deep-sea habitats, and (c) that seafloor particulate organic carbon (POC) flux and polymetallic nodule density are positively correlated with metazoan diversity. eDNA metabarcoding was effective at characterizing distinct biotas known to occur in association with different abyssal substrate types (e.g., nodule- and sediment-specific fauna), with distinct community composition and few taxa shared across substrates. Seamount faunas had higher overall taxonomic richness, and different community composition and biogeography than adjacent abyssal plains, with seamount communities displaying less connectivity between regions than comparable assemblages on the abyssal plains. Across an estimated gradient of low to moderate POC flux, we find lowest taxon richness at the lowest POC flux, as well as an effect of nodule size on community composition. Our results suggest that while abyssal seamounts are important reservoirs of metazoan diversity in the CCZ, given limited taxonomic overlap between seamount and plains fauna, conservation of seamount assemblages will be insufficient to protect biodiversity and ecosystem function in regions targeted for mining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Laroche
- Department of Oceanography, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Oliver Kersten
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Craig R Smith
- Department of Oceanography, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Erica Goetze
- Department of Oceanography, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, University of Hawaii at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
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48
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Picardi G, Chellapurath M, Iacoponi S, Stefanni S, Laschi C, Calisti M. Bioinspired underwater legged robot for seabed exploration with low environmental disturbance. Sci Robot 2020; 5:5/42/eaaz1012. [DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aaz1012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Robots have the potential to assist and complement humans in the study and exploration of extreme and hostile environments. For example, valuable scientific data have been collected with the aid of propeller-driven autonomous and remotely operated vehicles in underwater operations. However, because of their nature as swimmers, such robots are limited when closer interaction with the environment is required. Here, we report a bioinspired underwater legged robot, called SILVER2, that implements locomotion modalities inspired by benthic animals (organisms that harness the interaction with the seabed to move; for example, octopi and crabs). Our robot can traverse irregular terrains, interact delicately with the environment, approach targets safely and precisely, and hold position passively and silently. The capabilities of our robot were validated through a series of field missions in real sea conditions in a depth range between 0.5 and 12 meters.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Picardi
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - M. Chellapurath
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - S. Iacoponi
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - S. Stefanni
- Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Napoli, Italy
| | - C. Laschi
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | - M. Calisti
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy
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Riehl T, De Smet B. Macrostylis metallicola spec. nov.-an isopod with geographically clustered genetic variability from a polymetallic-nodule area in the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8621. [PMID: 32149025 PMCID: PMC7049464 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone (CCFZ) in the Northeast Central Pacific Ocean is a region of heightened scientific and public interest because of its wealth in manganese nodules. Due to a poor ecological understanding at the abyssal seafloor and limited knowledge of the organisms inhabiting this area, huge efforts in alpha taxonomy are required. To predict and manage potential hazards associated with future mining, taxonomy is an essential first step to grasp fundamental ecosystem traits, such as biogeographic patterns, connectivity, and the potential for post-impact recolonization. Amongst samples from the Global Sea Mineral Resources NV exploration area (EA) in the CCFZ an undescribed species of the isopod crustacean family Macrostylidae was discovered. Previously, it has been reported from two other nearby regions, the Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer and BGR EAs. There it was one of the more widely distributed and abundant species of the benthic macrofauna and exhibited geographically structured populations. It nevertheless remained taxonomically undescribed so far. Methods The new species is described by means of integrative taxonomy. Morphologically, macro photography, confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy were used to describe the species and to get first insights on its phylogenetic origin. Additionally, mitochondrial DNA markers were used to test the morphological allocation of the two dimorphic sexes and juvenile stages, to analyze geographic patterns of genetic differentiation, and to study intra-and inter-species relationships, also in light of previously published population genetics on this species. Results The new species, Macrostylis metallicola spec. nov., is a typical representative of Macrostylidae as recognizable from the fossosoma, prognathous cephalothorax, and styliform uropods. It can be morphologically distinguished from congeners by a combination of character states which include the autapomorphic shape of the first pleopod of the copulatory male. A sexual dimorphism, as expressed by a peculiar sequence of article length-width ratios of the male antennula, indicates a relationship with M. marionaeKniesz, Brandt & Riehl (2018) and M. longipesHansen (1916) amongst other species sharing this dimorphism. Mitochondrial genetic markers point in a similar direction. M. metallicola appears to be amongst the more common and widely distributed components of the benthic macrofauna in this region which may suggest a resilience of this species to future mining activities because of its apparent potential for recolonization of impacted sites from adjacent areas of particular environmental interest. The genetic data, however, show geographic clustering of its genetic variability, pointing towards a limited potential for dispersal. Local extinction of populations could potentially not be compensated quickly and would mean a loss of genetic diversity of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torben Riehl
- Department of Marine Zoology, Section Crustacea, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Johann Wolfgang Goethe Universität Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Centre for Natural History, Zoological Museum, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bart De Smet
- Department of Biology, Marine Biology Research Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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50
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Ecological variables for developing a global deep-ocean monitoring and conservation strategy. Nat Ecol Evol 2020; 4:181-192. [PMID: 32015428 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-1091-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The deep sea (>200 m depth) encompasses >95% of the world's ocean volume and represents the largest and least explored biome on Earth (<0.0001% of ocean surface), yet is increasingly under threat from multiple direct and indirect anthropogenic pressures. Our ability to preserve both benthic and pelagic deep-sea ecosystems depends upon effective ecosystem-based management strategies and monitoring based on widely agreed deep-sea ecological variables. Here, we identify a set of deep-sea essential ecological variables among five scientific areas of the deep ocean: (1) biodiversity; (2) ecosystem functions; (3) impacts and risk assessment; (4) climate change, adaptation and evolution; and (5) ecosystem conservation. Conducting an expert elicitation (1,155 deep-sea scientists consulted and 112 respondents), our analysis indicates a wide consensus amongst deep-sea experts that monitoring should prioritize large organisms (that is, macro- and megafauna) living in deep waters and in benthic habitats, whereas monitoring of ecosystem functioning should focus on trophic structure and biomass production. Habitat degradation and recovery rates are identified as crucial features for monitoring deep-sea ecosystem health, while global climate change will likely shift bathymetric distributions and cause local extinction in deep-sea species. Finally, deep-sea conservation efforts should focus primarily on vulnerable marine ecosystems and habitat-forming species. Deep-sea observation efforts that prioritize these variables will help to support the implementation of effective management strategies on a global scale.
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