Concept of EIA and Conservation Strategy to Protect Biodiversity for Seafloor

Massive Sulphides Mining

International Workshop on Environmental Management Needs forExploration and Exploitation of Deep Seabed Minerals

Fiji Islands, 29 November – 3 December 2011

*Tetsuhiko Toyohara & Nobuyuki Okamoto

Contents

1. Outline of the project

2. Summary of baseline studies

3. Concepts of an EIA

4. Strategy of biodiversity preservation

1

Distribution in hydrothermal activity

Tivey (2007)2

Major hydrothermal fields in Japan’s EEZApproximately 20 SMS found in the Japanese waters. SMS fields widely distribute within Izu-Bonin back-arc basin

and Okinawa trough.

Izu-Bonin

Okinawa Trough

3

Basic Act on Ocean Policy (July 2007)

Basic Plan on Ocean Policy (March 2008)

• Urgent subjects of exploration and development

Plan for the Development of Marine Energy and Mineral Resources(Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ; METI)- March 2009

• MH and SMS shall be commercialized within the next 10 years• Plan for the Development of Marine Energy and Mineral Resources

shall be established within FY2008

Promotion of development of EEZ

Petroleum & Natural gas

Methane Hydrate(MH)

Seafloor Massive Sulfides (SMS)

Proposing to develop Stage 1 and 2 for commercializing SMS4

Stage I (- FY2012)Resource Evaluation

Environmental Impact Study

Mining System Techniques

Processing Techniques

Resource evaluation of promising areas

-Environmental baseline Survey-Physicochemical and Ecological

modeling for EIA

-Examination of mining system

-Examination of lifting system

Bench-scale test

Design of marine mining test equipment

Design of pilot plant

Final Evaluation of Stage I

Stage II (- FY 2017)

Survey for new deposits and resource evaluation

(Marine Test)

-EIA

-Marine mining test

Pilot plant test

Precise resource evaluation

-Monitoring-Model verification -Conservation measures

Total system examination under commercial scale

Semi-commercial scale plant test

Feasibility Study (F/S)

Outline of the SMS development program

- Simplified ‘Plan for the Development of Marine Energy and Mineral Resources (2009, METI) -

[Interim evaluation] [Interim evaluation]

5

Organization of SMS program

JOGMEC

METIPublication and ConsultationContract

• Planning• Data

Compiling• Management• F/S

Industries Scientists

Stakeholders

National Committee for Mineral Resources

Ocean Mining Industry Promotion Roundtable

Participant

SMS Project CommitteeChairman：Prof. Taira;JAMSTEC

Working Groups

ResourceEvaluation EIA Mining

Tech.Processing

Tech.

SMS ProjectDeliberation

Suggestion

- JAMSTEC: Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology 6

Potential impacts of SMS mining

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Environmental baseline survey

The location of the Izena Cauldron and Bayonnaise Caldera

8

Summary of cruises

OT: Okinawa Trough, IB: Izu-Bonin back-arc basin

FY Days atsea Area Survey

2008 JAMSTEC R/V Yokosuka, AUV Urashima 23 IB, OT GeographyADCP,　Sediment trap

JAMSTEC R/V Kairei, ROV Kaiko7000Ⅱ 20 IB, OT Benthos

2009 JOGMEC R/V Hakurei-maru No.2 30 OT Water，Sediment，Plankton，Benthos

JAMSTEC R/V Yokosuka, Manned Shinkai6500 15 IB BenthosJOGMEC R/V Hakurei-maru No.2 1 OT ADCP,　Sediment trapJOGMEC R/V Hakurei-maru No.2 2 OT Benthos，ADCP

JOGMEC R/V Hakurei-maru No.2 27 OT Water，Sediment，Plankton，Benthos

JAMSTEC R/V Kairei, ROV Kaiko7000Ⅱ 10 IB Benthos2010 JOGMEC R/V Hakurei-maru No.2 4 OT ADCP,　Sediment trap

JAMSTEC R/V Kairei, ROV Kaiko7000Ⅱ 27 OT BenthosJOGMEC R/V Hakurei-maru No.2 4 IB ADCP,　Sediment trap

JAMSTEC R/V Kaiyo 29 IB Water，Sediment，Plankton，Benthos

Cruises

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Overall Length : 88.8mBreadth: 13.8mGross Tonnage: 2,126.74tGoing into service in 1980

JOGMEC R/V Hakurei-maru No.2

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JAMSTEC R/V

Shinkai 6500

104.9m, 16.0m, 4,628t

Kaiko 7000Ⅱ

105.2m, 16.0m, 4,439t

Kairei Yokosuka

- JAPAN: Japan Agency of Marine Earth Science and Technology- 11

Schematic image of the baseline survey

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Summary for the results of baseline surveyIzena Cauldron Bayonnaise Caldera

Benthos Shinkaia crosneri and Alvinocaris spp. dominates in the active hydrothermal regions.The genera Rossellidae and Caridea dominates in the inactive regions.

Debruyeresia spp. and Gandalfus yunohana dominates in the active hydrothermal regions.The genera Primnoidae dominates in the inactive regions.

Plankton Biomass of the both bacteria and zooplankton is higher in the bottom layer than the middle layer.

Biomass of the both phyto- and zoo-planktons is vertically and horizontally normal as the open sea.

Water quality

The turbidity is considerably higher in the bottom layer than the surface to middle layer.Water temperatures of the end-member hydrothermal fluid are around 200-300

The water quality is vertically and horizontally normal as the open sea.Water temperatures of the end-member hydrothermal fluid was around 100-150 13

Summary for the results of baseline survey

Izena Cauldron Bayonnaise CalderaSediment Concentrations of Hg and As

are widely high in the Cauldron.Concentrations of Hg and As are high near the hydrothermal vent in the Caldera.

Current Bottom current is ordinarily low (< 5cm/s) throughout a year.

Bottom current is low (< 5cm/s) but occasionally reaches >30cm/s.

Particle flux

Mass flux is greater in the Cauldron than in the general open sea

Mass flux tends to be smaller in the Caldera than in the general open sea

Nekton(Fishery)

Tuna and bonito moves around Izena Cauldron. The tuna long line fishery is conducted from May to August. Fisheries of the deep-sea snappers are also common in Okinawa trough.

The tuna long line fishery is conducted from Dec. to April. The main fields of the pelagic fisheries distribute around the north Izu-bonin located in 80km distant from Bayonnaise caldera.

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Concepts of EIADevelop an methodology of EIA for assessing SMS miningPerform the EIA in conjunction with Marine mining testEIA consists of three components, research, prediction and

assessment.

Research: the past baseline data is incomplete for conducting a suitable EIA, so that additional researches are

needed to collect more available data.

Prediction: quantitative prediction, using an ecological model combined with a water current model.

Assessment: consider both the Japanese environmental law and the international guidelines (ISA etc.)

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Construction of an ecological modelEcological model for explaining material cycle in SMS fields

Sulfur reducing, Methane oxidizing bacteria

InfaunaMortality, Egestion

Feeding

Nutrient

Symbiosis,Mortality, Egestion

Feeding

Feeding

Feeding

Feeding

Feeding

Respiration

Loss

Respiration

Respiration

Feeding

Feeding

Spawning

Respiration

Respiration

Water current model

Sinking flux

Zooplankton

Epifauna

Bacteria

H2S

CH4

SO42-

Bacteria

Detritus

Feeding

Chemoautotrophic microorganisms

Vent plumemodel Feeding

Deposition

Epipelagic ecological model

Feeding

Loss

Mortality

Suspended Particulates

MetalsOrganic matter etc.

Loss

Organicmatter

Mortality, Egestion

Feeding

Mortality

Mortality

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Environmental issues associated with SMS mining test

Environmental Issue MSVOperation

SMTexcavation

RISERReturn Water

Keeping natural elements ecologically-friendly

Air qualityVibration

－ － －

Water － ○ ○

Sediment － ○ ○

Ground water － － －

Noise ○ ○ －

Topography － ○ －

- Based on the Japanese EIA law - ●: Major impact, ○: Possible impact, －: Not applicable

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Environmental Issue MSVOperation

SMTexcavation

RISERReturn Water

Systematic maintenance of biodiversity

Phytoplankton － － ○

Zooplankton － ○ ○

Benthos － ● ○

Necton － ○ ○

Ecosystem － ● ○

Relations between nature and human being

LandscapeMarine recreation

－ － －

Environmental load Wastes － － －

- Based on the Japanese EIA law - ◎: Major impact, ○: Possible impact, －: Not applicable19

Environmental issues associated with SMS mining test

Strategy of biodiversity preservation

PA

MA

PA

Source populationsGeneticconnectivity

-Confirm genetic connectivity between areas-Protect source populations

PA: Protected areaMA: Mining area

-Loss of biodiversity of the area will be minimized-Replenishment of populations is expected in a mined area

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Meta-population analysis

IzenaCauldron

Iheya Ridge Iheya Hill

910

70

Alvinocaris longirostrisAreas

-Okinawa trough-Izu-Bonin back-arc basin

Materials-mtDNA CO1 sequences of hydrothermal vent species

Analysis- Create Haplotype network- Estimate migration rates of individuals

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1. Approximately 20 SMS fields are found in Japan’s EEZ.

2. JOGMEC obtained the basic information on biological and physicochemical environments from 2008 to 2010 fiscal years.

3. Also have developed numerical models to predict quantitatively environmental impacts.

4. EIA and the preservative measure will be conducted to consider the domestic environmental law and the international guidelines

5. We hope that the project will contribute to a global standard for EIA of SMS mining.

まとめFinal Remarks

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