Author(s) :

Ari Kim, Diana Gao, Manuel Scharrer.

Volume/Issue :

Abstract :

This research aims to answer the question: to what degree do different deep-sea mining collection methods affect sediment plume dispersion? Critical minerals found in manganese nodules, which are extracted during deep-sea mining, are crucial for renewable technologies. However, the effects that collecting these nodules may have on the environment remain largely unknown. We hypothesized that the hydraulic suction model, a common collection method, would create less sediment dispersion in the water column. The goal of this research was ultimately to evaluate how the two major deep-sea mining collection methods’ sediment disturbance compare. To achieve this goal, deep-sea collection processes were modelled while data was collected in disturbance levels, number of nodules collected, and visual sediment disturbance. Contrary to the primary hypothesis, no statistically significant differences were observed in maximum or final sediment disturbance between the static comb and hydraulic suction methods, suggesting that most disturbances were caused by the mining vehicle, not the collection methods. Ultimately, these small-scale findings demonstrate that to reduce harmful sediment plumes, future research should focus on engineering the mining vehicle itself to become more hydrodynamic rather than simply focusing on the collection tool.