深海采矿对海洋生态系统影响的评价Ⅰ.上层生态系统

Assessment on the potential impacts of deep-sea mining on the marine ecosystem Ⅰ. Epipelagic ecosystem

根据现有试验规模及资料分析了深海采矿对上层海洋生态系统的潜在影响。结果表明 :深海采矿对上层环境 ,如悬浮颗粒物质增加、光衰减、冷的底层水与表层水混合、表层水中营养盐、痕量金属、海水密度等都有一定影响 ,但都不足以危及上层生态系统。尽管这些结果是令人欣慰的 ,但由于这些试验的规模和持续的时间是十分有限的 ,为了更充分地评估深海采矿对海洋生态系统的潜在影响 ,需要进行进一步的模拟实验和更大规模商业开采的现场监测。

The major achievements of these studies will be analysed and evaluated in this series of papers. The potential impacts of deep sea mining on epipelagic ecosystem are here analysed and reviewed. The results indicate that the changes to the epipelagic environment resulting from deep sea mining, such as increased suspended particles, greatly increased light attenuation due to turbidity, mixing of cold bottom water with the surface water, and variations of nutrients, trace metals in seawater and density of the surface water, are not extensive enough to endanger the health of epipelagic ecosystem. Despite these encouraging results it must be noticed that these tests and experiments were of a quite limited scope and duration. The impacts of the large scale commercial mining on the marine environment need to be monitored and simulated in advance in order to exclude any serious threast to the environment.