A LONG-TERM, LARGE-SCALE, DISTURBANCE-RECOLONISATION EXPERIMENT IN THE ABYSSAL EASTERN TROPICAL SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN

A long term, large scale, disturbance-recolonisation experiment with relevance to the environmental effects of deep-sea mining is described. the study is funded by the West German government and was launched in the abyssal eastern tropical South Pacific Ocean in 1989. After obtaining pre-impact baseline environmental data, a 10.8km circular area of seafloor was disturbed using a specially designed "plough-harrow" device. An initial post-impact sampling series was carried out immediately after disturbance and the site was carried out immediately after disturbance and the site was revisited in September 1989 for renewed post-impact sampling six months after the disturbance. Plans call for repeated visits to the site at two year intervals in order to monitor the anticipated slow recolonisation process until the area is inhabited by a new, stabilised community.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • OTC'90, 22nd Annual Offshore Technology Conference, held 7-10 May 1990, Houston, Tx, USA. Proc, v 2 Paper OTC 6328, p 497 [7 p, 8 ref, 11 fig]
• Authors:
  • Foell, E J
  • Thiel, H
  • Schriever, G
• Publication Date: 1990

Language

• English

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Environment; Environmental impacts; Environmental protection; Mining; Ocean bottom; Research
• Old TRIS Terms: Environmental research; Ocean mining
• Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation; Research;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00698354
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: British Maritime Technology
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 14 1995 12:00AM