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 and a seabed rich in various minerals, including iron, copper, nickel, lithium, gold, cobalt, other rare minerals, and even deposits of manganese nodules. The new JPI Oceans project, Mining Impact 2, aims precisely to assess the risks of deep-sea mining and, in particular, the impacts that this activity may have on the environment, the sea, and its ecosystem. To this end, it will carry out scientific monitoring of the impacts caused by industrial intervention in manganese nodule deposits in the Clarion Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean.

This project will build on the success achieved by the Mining Impact 1 project (2013-2017), in which Portugal also participated with two teams. The aim now is to produce more knowledge to predict the ecological, biogeochemical, and hydrodynamic consequences of mining activity; to test a variety of new monitoring methods and techniques to verify the state of ecosystems; and to carry out comparative studies between different deep-sea environments. The knowledge acquired will be shared with the community and will inform policy makers and regulatory bodies, contributing to the definition of regulations governing deep-sea mining activities. The project will start in August 2018 and will last for 42 months.

Mining Impact 2 brings together 32 partners from 10 countries (Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Jamaica, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and the United Kingdom), with total funding of €13.994 million. Portugal will participate with five national teams from entities such as: 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 joint funding from FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology and DGPM – Directorate-General for Maritime Policy.

More information at jpi-oceans.eu