JPI Oceans project investigates the environmental impact of deep sea mining

Mining Impact 2 involves the participation of five Portuguese teams.

The deep sea is characterized by its great biodiversity, where several stones rich in iron, copper, nickel, lithium, gold, cobalt, and rare minerals or manganese nodule deposits are also present. The new project of JPI Oceans, Mining Impact 2, aims to address the risks of mining in deep waters and especially the impacts it can cause on the environment, the sea, and its ecosystem. To this end, it will carry out scientific monitoring of industrial intervention in manganese nodule deposits in the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean. 

This project will support the successful research and results of the former Mining Impact 1 project (2013-2017), in which two Portuguese teams were also involved. Mining Impact 2 will further study regional connectivity of species in the deep sea and their resilience to impacts, and the integrated effects on ecosystem functions, such as the benthic food web and biogeochemical processes. The findings of the project will be transmitted to the community and inform policymakers and regulators, contributing to the definition of regulatory standards for deep sea mining activities. The project will begin in August 2018 and run for 42 months.

Mining Impact 2 brings together 32 partners from 10 countries (Germany, Belgium, France, Holland, Italy, Jamaica, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom), with a total budget of €13.994 million. Portugal will be represented by 5 teams from the following entities: CESAM – Center for Environmental and Marine Studies; CIIMAR – Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research; IMAR – IMAR Center of the University of the Azores; IPMA – Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere, IP; and UALG – University of Algarve, with combined funding from FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology and DGPM – Directorate-General for Maritime Policy.

More information here: jpi-oceans.eu