COBALT-RICH FERROMANGANESE CRUSTS
37
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.
The key design elements of marine reserves listed by the Part-
nership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO
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.
Connectivity
Biodiversity
Replication
Viability
Representivity
Sustainable use
Ensure maintenance of the ecosystems
Ensure ecological connectivity between sites
Conserve multiple sites, not just one
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
Include other potential uses in designing the areas (e.g. shing)
Key elements of marine reserve design
Figure 13 Key element of marine reserve design (ISA, 2008).
