COBALT-RICH FERROMANGANESE CRUSTS
24
Human activities invariably have some impact on any ecosystem, and activities in the deep sea are
no exception. Sea-floor ecosystems are increasingly affected by human activities, such as bottom
fishing, oil drilling, and waste disposal (Polunin
et al
. 2008; Smith
et al
. 2008). With the emerging
industry of deep sea mineral extraction, there is a need for appropriate and responsible manage-
ment strategies with an aim to maintain overall biodiversity and ecosystem health and function.
Cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts are of potential interest for deep sea mineral extraction. As de-
scribed earlier in this volume, the crusts typically occur on large seamounts, particularly in guy-
ot (flat-topped) features where summits vary from depths of 800 metres to 2 500 metres. In this
section, we describe the likely environmental effects of deep sea ferromanganese-crust extraction
activity, with a particular emphasis on the specific characteristics of biological communities asso-
ciated with seamounts and ferromanganese crusts. Management options are discussed, and rec-
ommendations are made on options that could balance the impacts of extraction with conservation
of the wider environment and faunal communities.
