New Deep-Sea Coral Found on Nodules Targeted for Mining – Marine Technology News

Report on the Discovery of Deltocyathus zoemetallicus and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

An international research team has identified a new species of deep-sea coral, Deltocyathus zoemetallicus, in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the Pacific Ocean. The species is uniquely dependent on polymetallic nodules for its habitat, the same mineral formations targeted for deep-seabed mining. This discovery presents a direct conflict between resource extraction for emerging technologies and the imperative to conserve marine biodiversity, highlighting critical challenges to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), most notably SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

Discovery and Species Characteristics

The research, led by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and the Senckenberg Research Institute, details the first known hard-coral species to live exclusively attached to polymetallic nodules.

• Species: Deltocyathus zoemetallicus
• Location: Clarion–Clipperton Zone (CCZ), at depths over 4,000 meters.
• Habitat: Attached to polymetallic nodules, which form over millions of years.
• Biology: As an azooxanthellate scleractinian, it survives in total darkness by feeding on drifting particles, lacking the symbiotic algae common in shallow-water corals.

Conflict with Industrial Activity and Sustainable Development

The habitat of this newly discovered species is the focus of growing commercial interest, creating a tension between industrial goals and environmental stewardship.

1. Resource Demand: The polymetallic nodules in the CCZ are rich in metals crucial for renewable energy technologies and electric vehicle batteries. This links the issue to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
2. Threat of Extinction: Deep-seabed mining would remove the nodules, thereby destroying the only known habitat for D. zoemetallicus. This could lead to the extinction of a species before its ecological role is fully understood.
3. Challenge to Sustainability: The situation questions whether the production of green technologies can be considered sustainable if it necessitates the destruction of unique, irreplaceable deep-sea ecosystems.

Implications for SDG 14: Life Below Water

This discovery serves as a critical case study for the protection of marine environments and the sustainable use of ocean resources as mandated by SDG 14.

• Conserving Marine Biodiversity: The existence of D. zoemetallicus underscores how little is known about deep-sea biodiversity. Its potential loss would represent a failure to meet the targets of SDG 14 and the principles of SDG 15 (Life on Land) concerning the halting of biodiversity loss.
• Sustainable Management of Marine Ecosystems: The threat posed by mining highlights the urgent need to sustainably manage and protect marine ecosystems from significant adverse impacts, as per Target 14.2 of the SDGs.
• Advancing Scientific Knowledge: The international collaboration that led to this discovery exemplifies SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Continued research is essential to inform policy and ensure that the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans are enhanced through scientific understanding.

Conclusion

The discovery of Deltocyathus zoemetallicus emphasizes that polymetallic nodule fields are not inert mineral deposits but living ecosystems. The potential destruction of this species’ habitat for resource extraction poses a significant challenge to the global commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. It calls for the rigorous application of the precautionary principle in all considerations of deep-seabed mining to prevent irreversible harm to life below water.

Analysis of SDGs in the Article

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed

• SDG 14: Life Below Water

  This is the most prominent SDG addressed. The entire article focuses on the discovery of a new marine species (deep-sea coral), its unique deep-ocean habitat (the Clarion–Clipperton Zone), and the direct threat posed to its existence by potential human activities like deep-seabed mining. It directly concerns the conservation and sustainable use of ocean resources.

• SDG 15: Life on Land

  Although the article is about marine life, the core principles of SDG 15 are highly relevant. Specifically, the goal to halt biodiversity loss and protect threatened species from extinction is a central theme. The potential for deep-seabed mining to “risk wiping out an entire species” is a direct threat to biodiversity, a key concern of SDG 15.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The article connects the threat of deep-seabed mining to the demand for resources. It states that polymetallic nodules are “rich in manganese, nickel, cobalt, and other critical metals used in electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy technologies.” This highlights the tension between the production patterns of green technologies and the sustainable management of natural resources, which is a core focus of SDG 12.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

• Target 14.2: By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans.

  The article directly relates to this target by highlighting a fragile deep-sea ecosystem in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone. The discovery of the coral *Deltocyathus zoemetallicus*, which could lose its “only known habitat,” underscores the need to protect this ecosystem from the “significant adverse impacts” of deep-seabed mining.

• Target 15.5: Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species.

  The potential extinction of the newly discovered coral species is a central point of the article. Dr. Nadia Santodomingo’s warning that “If these nodules are removed, we risk wiping out an entire species we have only just found” directly calls for action to prevent the extinction of a species and halt the loss of biodiversity due to the degradation of its natural habitat (the polymetallic nodules).

• Target 14.a: Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology… in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity.

  The article is a testament to the importance of this target. The discovery itself is a result of an “international research team” conducting expeditions and using advanced technology like “high-resolution imaging and 3D micro-CT scanning.” Dr. Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras’ statement, “This discovery underscores how little we know about life in the deep sea… we still have so much research to do to explore and understand it fully,” explicitly calls for increasing scientific knowledge to better manage ocean health.

• Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.

  The article implicitly questions the sustainability of extracting polymetallic nodules. While these nodules are a natural resource for “critical metals,” the potential to destroy a unique habitat and cause a species to go extinct challenges the idea that this form of resource extraction can be considered sustainable management.

Indicators Mentioned or Implied

The article does not mention official SDG indicators by their specific codes. However, it implies several metrics that could be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

• Number of new marine species discovered: The discovery of *Deltocyathus zoemetallicus* is the central event of the article. This serves as a direct indicator of the progress in scientific exploration and our growing understanding of marine biodiversity (relevant to Target 14.a).
• Assessment of biodiversity in areas targeted for resource extraction: The article highlights the rich biodiversity of the deep ocean floor, which was “once thought to be… largely lifeless.” The research conducted in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone, an area targeted for mining, serves as a model for assessing biodiversity before extraction activities begin (relevant to Targets 14.2 and 12.2).
• Identification of species vulnerable to extinction from human activities: The classification of the new coral as potentially losing its “only known habitat” due to mining is an indicator of threats to biodiversity. Tracking the number of species identified as being at risk from specific industrial activities like deep-seabed mining measures the scale of the challenge (relevant to Target 15.5).
• Number of international scientific research expeditions to the deep sea: The article mentions that the discovery was made possible by “three expeditions onboard the OSV Maersk Launcher and one expedition on board the RRS James Cook.” The frequency and scope of such expeditions are an implied indicator of the investment in increasing scientific knowledge about marine ecosystems (relevant to Target 14.a).

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Summary

Source: marinetechnologynews.com