Deep Sea Minerals - Vol 3 - Cobalt-rich Ferromanganese Crusts

ernmental involvement might be required. Whether or not an MPA network approach is warranted may depend on the proportion of sites that are considered commercially viable in relation to the total number of sites present and whether or not the remaining untouched sites are representative of the sites to be mined. Ideally, the design of MPAs and MPA networks should follow four sequential steps: (1) evaluation of conservation needs; (2) definition of the objectives for establishing the MPAs; (3) integration of information on the biological characteristics (e.g., life histories, dispersal pat- terns, species distributions) and habitat distribution of the managed ecosystem; and (4) selection of suitable sites to serve as MPAs.

2007) provide a useful starting point for considering marine spatial planning and MPA planning (Figure 13).

Note that the likelihood that, even on a cobalt-rich ferromanga- nese crust seamount, resedimentation may extend over an ap- preciable area adjacent to the physical operation. This means that care is required when defining conservation sites. They will need to be far enough away to avoid any potential “down- stream” effect. Temporal measures: The time scales of ferromanganese crust growth and faunal recovery in the abyssal deep sea almost cer- tainly make consideration of temporal measures impractical. Measures to rehabilitate degraded areas or encourage lon- ger-term faunal recruitment are much less likely to be effective than spatial management approaches.

The key design elements of marine reserves listed by the Part- nership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO

Key elements of marine reserve design

Biodiversity

Ensure maintenance of the ecosystems

Connectivity

Ensure ecological connectivity between sites

Replication

Conserve multiple sites, not just one

Viability

Ensure the size and spacing of reserves is adequate

Multiple sites must contain a wide range of species and functions to allow for uncertainty or natural variation in populations

Representivity

Sustainable use

Include other potential uses in designing the areas (e.g. shing)

Figure 13 Key element of marine reserve design (ISA, 2008).

COBALT-RICH FERROMANGANESE CRUSTS 37