New research, carried out by Queen’s University in Belfast, United Kingdom, indicates that more than a third of the species of molluscs that live on the seabed are in danger of extinction .
This is a study that would warn again about the impact on biodiversity of seabed mining, after scientists investigated the different species of molluscs that live around hydrothermal vents , of which more than 180 species ( specifically 184 species ) have finally been added to the global red list of threatened species , which is carried out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Although the researchers only studied the molluscs that were indigenous to the vents, they say they would expect similar risks to crustaceans, or indeed any other species that relied on these deep-ocean hot springs.
In the scientific article in question, the researchers were in charge of examining the framework that regulates deep sea mining and the different objectives related to local management in each of these areas. In addition to the mining licenses themselves.
It is estimated that more than 80% of the oceans remain unmapped, explored or observed, while there is growing opposition from governments and scientists to deep-sea mining, claiming that the loss of biodiversity would be inevitable and permanent if this practice continues.
According to the authors, those species most studied would depend mainly on the ecosystem so rich in hydrothermal vents in order to survive. In this way, they affect the risk that deep-sea mining companies end up eliminating all the habitat from which the vent species come from by trying to obtain the majority of the metals that form in them. Basically, “the species do not tend to where to go.”
At the beginning of this month, the International Seabed Authority, an agency of the United Nations Organization (UN), met in Jamaica with the aim of shortening a route to finalize the regulations by mid-2023 (specifically for the July), with the intention of allowing underwater mining of nickel, cobalt and other metals to continue.
Experts estimate that there are at least 600 hydrothermal vents , located at depths of between 2,000 and 4,000 meters. They act like naturally occurring plumbing systems, transporting chemicals and heat from the Earth’s interior. And not only that, they also help regulate the chemistry of the ocean, which is why mineral deposits accumulate in large quantities and highly valued in the fissures.
In addition, the heat present in them also makes them important points for the biodiversity of the area, similar to tropical forests or coral reefs.
Regarding the study, of the more than 180 species analyzed, more than 60 percent were labeled as threatened . Interestingly, most of these species are located in those territorial waters in which countries have granted deep-sea mining licenses, such as Papua New Guinea or Japan.
However, experts warn that the risk of extinction was much higher in the Indian Ocean. In this area, practically all of the species were labeled as threatened . And, in addition, 60% were identified as “endangered.”
