Loading...
Please wait, while we are loading the content...
Similar Documents
Country : United Kingdom Final Report Summary-MIDAS ( Managing Impacts of Deep-seA reSource exploitation )
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Copyright Year | 2019 |
| Abstract | Final Report Summary MIDAS (Managing Impacts of Deep-seA reSource exploitation) Executive Summary: The MIDAS project was conceived to address increasing concerns over the lack of scientific knowledge required to understand and mitigate the likely impacts associated with the extraction of mineral resources from the deep sea. Funded by the European Union's Framework 7 programme for a period of 3 years (2013-2016), the MIDAS project (Managing impacts of DeepSea Resource Exploitation) involved 32 partners from around Europe comprising leading scientists, policy experts and industry representatives. Together, the MIDAS consortium carried out research on a wide array of topics aimed at assisting the nascent deep-sea mining industry, regulators and civil society to understand the potential impacts of mining on deep-sea ecosystems. The project focused mainly on the potential impacts associated with extraction of manganese nodules and seafloor massive sulphides (SMS) from the deep sea, but also addressed environmental issues related to the exploitation of methane gas hydrates, and the potential of deep-sea muds in the North Atlantic as a source of Rare Earth Elements (REEs). Study areas included the mid-Atlantic Ridge (SMS), the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the central Pacific (nodules), and the Black Sea, Norwegian and Svalbard continental margins (gas hydrates). Additionally, the Canary Islands, Palinuro Seamount (central Mediterranean), Norwegian fjords and Portmán Bay (Spain) were used as proxy sites for various mining impact experiments. Large volumes of new data were collected via 30 research expeditions to these areas to satisfy a range of scientific questions. MIDAS included much more than scientific research. Industry partners provided links to the commercial sector to provide information on likely mining scenarios, and to enable the determination of best practice in other sectors of offshore exploitation. The combination of new scientific data with projected mining scenarios and accepted best practice has enabled MIDAS to put forward an environmental management framework that could facilitate responsible mining whilst taking account of environmental concerns. MIDAS also identified the technology that might offer the most value in monitoring the impacts of deep-sea mining, including technology gaps where existing instrumentation requires further development. MIDAS incorporated a social dimension through close engagement with civil society, providing accurate information about likely impacts of mining activity, and listening to NGOs' concerns about this emerging industry. MIDAS focused on developing practical, workable solutions with due regard of the legal aspects and worked closely with the International Seabed Authority to provide scientific input to the development of a mining code for the exploitation of deep-sea minerals. This process will continue well beyond the lifetime of MIDAS, but it will benefit from this new knowledge as well as a gap analysis of information that is of high importance but not currently available. The timing of the MIDAS project was opportune, coinciding with the International Seabed Authority’s development of a mining code for the exploitation of deep-sea minerals. This process will continue beyond the lifetime of MIDAS, but it will benefit from all our accumulated information, as well as our gap analysis of information that is of high importance but not currently available. MIDAS research has already produced 50+ papers in peer-reviewed journals, with many more to come beyond the end of the project. The final output from the project a summary report on the MIDAS recommendations to the EC and the ISA is publicly available from the MIDAS website (www.eu-midas.net). Additionally, the MIDAS Research Highlights publication, which was produced to accompany the MIDAS Final Meeting (available from www.eu-midas.net) will be expanded to incorporate more technical detail and published as part of the ISA's Technical Study Series in 2017. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | https://cordis.europa.eu/result/rcn/197867_en.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Report |
