Environmental impact assessments for deep-sea mining: can we improve their future effectiveness?

Highlights

• Shortcomings in environmental impact assessments for deep-sea mining are identified.
• Recommendations are made for how to improve the science underpinning EIAs.
• Higher quality EIAs will increase their uptake by managers and their effectiveness in decision-making.
• Scientific studies are key to the EIA process, but final decision-making is a complex evaluation of environmental, social, economic and political components.

Keywords

Seabed mining, Environmental impact assessment, Environmental management, Deep sea, Impacts