To understand the environmental conditions in areas of marine minerals and to contribute in conservation of marine ecosystem from the effects of marine mining.
Objectives:
To evaluate baseline environmental conditions of marine minerals
To study the effects of offshore mining on marine environment.
To monitor the processes of environmental restoration and recolonisation
To provide scientific inputs for development of a marine mining systems
To develop protocols for environmental data collection for mining
Marine minerals, ranging from placer minerals on the coast to deep-sea ferromanganese nodules, are considered as resources for strategic minerals such as Ti, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co. As the land-based mineral resources are projected to get exhausted in the near future, mining of marine minerals would gain momentum in order to meet the growing demands of these metals. Similarly, the production of petroleum hydrocarbons from offshore areas has already commenced in different parts of the world.
It is known that the occurrence of these mineral deposits is associated with a specific physiographic setting. Whereas, the placer deposits are generally located on the beaches and shallow marine conditions; the polymetallic deposits occur at abyssal depths in far-flung locations away from the landmasses associated with typical environmental conditions of the deep-sea. Similarly, the cobalt-rich ferro-manganese crusts are characteristic of seamount physiography and the hydrothermal sulphides are associated with mid-oceanic ridges and island arc regions.
However, the environmental conditions associated with each of the marine mineral deposit are specific to the location of occurrence, not only in terms of the geological setting, but also the biological, physical and chemical status of the area. As we study the genesis, occurrence and distribution of these mineral deposits, understanding the environmental setting in which they occur is also necessary, so as to have a complete information on the associated ecosystem. This is required not only to understand the inter-dependence of the minerals on environmental parameters and vice-versa, but also to identify any unique environmental setting that needs to be studied / preserved, and to be able to evaluate / predict the impacts of mining of these mineral deposits.
Hence these studies not only cater to the understand of the environmental settings of different mineral deposits and help generate environmental databases, but also in assessing / predicting the environmental impacts of seabed mining. The studies also lead to capacity building for multi-disciplinary oceanographic research and providing advisories to national and international regulatory agencies.
Investigations under the project:
Environmental impacts of mining in coastal zone
EIA studies for mining of deep seabed minerals
Modelling of impacts for ecological changes
Work elements
The main elements of the project are environmental studies associated with 2 of the marine mineral deposits that are being considered as potential sources of metals in future. These are
a. Achievements: Conducted three experiments under the project:
1. Indian Deep-sea Environment Experiment (INDEX): The project team has studied the longterm response of different environmental parameters to deep-sea disturbance. These observations include changes in behaviour , abundance and composition of nutrients, sizes, porewater, geotechnical properties, macrofauna, meiofauna, microbes and biochemical parameters in seafloor sediments. These have resulted in 26 papers in international journals during the period. Results have shown that whereas physical conditions would get restored within a 1-3 years, the biological and biochemical parameters take a longer time period (> 5 years) for recolonisation. Also natural variations mask the disturbed conditions over a period of ~ 7 years.
2. Sediment Dispersal Experiment (SEDEX): Biological productivity in surface waters and their response to higher quantities of suspended particles has revealed that conditions return to background values within 24 hours due to fast settling / dilution of particles, but its effect on water column needs to be studied.
3. Placer mining Experiment (PLAMEX): Impact of sediment slurry discharge on coastal environment was evaluated during placer mining test, which shows mixed immediate response but quick restoration of environmental conditions due to high current and wave action in the area.
b. Major contributions of the project
Scientific
Development of multi-disciplinary data-set on the environment of the deep-sea, which can be used as a reference information for assessing impacts of human activities in the area in future
Longterm observations of effects of a simulated ‘mining’ experiment have given an understanding into the processes of restoration and recolonisation of deep-sea environment over a period of time.
Publications in major scientific journals (>50) and international conferences (please see list of publications for details)
Publication of three special issues of international journals, viz. Marine Georesources and Geotechnology, 2000 and 2005 (published by Taylor and Francis, Netherlands) and Deep-Sea research – II (2001, published by Elsevier / Pergamon Press)
Technological
Some of the environmental data are being used as inputs for development and operation of deep-sea mining system
Finding of culturable fungi buried 4m below the seafloor (5.6km underwater) has given a clue to preservation of fungi at low temperature – high-pressure conditions, that could have biotechnological applications
Invention of a core-cutter for easy handling of deep-sea cores (Patent filed).
Policy making
Providing advisories to Int. Seabed Authority (UN) for formulation of environmental guidelines
Contributing towards fulfilling the country’s obligation as a Pioneer Investor towards UNLOS.
Capacity building
Expertise developed to undertake multi-disciplinary EIA studies in the deep-sea areas, which could be shared with other organizations within India and abroad.
Training provided to under-graduate and post-graduate students, foreign students, research (Ph.D.) students as well as students for project work, internship.
c. Recognition to project members
R. Sharma
Invited speaker at international workshop for formulation of environmental guidelines for ferromangasnese crusts and sulfides, Int. Seabed Authority, September 2004.
Guest editor, Marine Georesources and Geotechnology, vol. 23, no. 4, December 2005.
Invited speaker and expert by Int. Seabed Authority (UN).
Invited speaker at British Antarctic Survey, UK
Member of International Steering Committee, CeDAMAR, a field project of CoML,
Invited as a speaker/expert for the workshop on Biodiversity of deep-sea sediments held at Newport, Oregon
Visiting Professor and Ph.D.Examination Committee member, Uppsala University, Sweden
C.V. Raman Research fellow at Uppsala University, Sweden
Visiting Researcher, Okayama University, Misasa, Japan from December, 2005 to September 2006)
Currently serving as Co-Leader of project IGCP-476
Aug 2006: Invited speaker at the “International Sedimentological Congress” at Japan
September 2006: Invited speaker, served as a member of SAC and chaired a session during an international meeting at Korea.
Invited as a Visiting Professor by NCK University, Taiwan
PA Lokabharati
Secretary, Indian Ocean – Census of Marine Life
Invited to contribute to the report of the Secretary General on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (Law of the sea/Ocean affairs) and Law of the sea.
Member of Steering Committee of ChEss (Biogeography of Deep water Chemosynthetic Ecosystems) a field programme of CoML.
Contributor to Environment and Biodiversity beyond National Jurisdiction solicited by UN -DOAL (Division of Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea )
ZA Ansari
Member, Benthic Indicator Group, IOC (UN).
BS Ingole
Member of the International Steering Committee for CoML’s Seamount (CenSeam) Program (Biodiversity of Seamounts)
Invited as speaker and EIA expert by Int. Seabed Authority (UN), Jamaica.
Member of the International Expedition to Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami Offshore Survey
Member of the DOD's Expert Committee to review the long-term impact of Tsunami on coastal marine resources
Member, International Steering Committee of the Coml project on
"Biodiversity of the Seamounts”.
Invited speaker “International Workshop on Taxonomy of deep-sea
harpacticoid copepods” held at Wilhelmshaven, Germany (Nov. 2005).
Awarded gold medal for the best poster presentation for the paper entitled “Impact of simulated placer mining on subital, macrobenthic community” by The Academy of Environmental Biology at its 26th Annual Session & National Seminar on Environmental Scenario: Challengers and Solutions held at Rewa (MP), December 23-25, 2006.
N.H. Khadge
Raman Research fellowship to work at Hawaii University, USA
b. Invitation to visit Korea Inst. of Geoscience and Mineral Resources, South Korea
c. Outputs of the projects (as of 1 February 2008)
