Exploitation of the Deep Ocean May Cause Negative Impacts to the World's Climate

The world's oceans are seemingly endless as they stretch to extreme depths. And yet rapidly advancing technology is putting these deep seas at risk as they're exploited. Now, scientists have taken a closer look at the benefits of the deep ocean and have found that more caution is needed when it comes to exploitation.

"The deep sea is the largest habitat on Earth, it is incredibly important to humans and it is facing a variety of stressors from increased human exploitation to impacts from climate change," said Andrew Thurber, lead author of the new study, in a news release. "As we embark upon greater exploitation of this vast environment and start thinking about conserving resources, it is imperative to know what this habitat already does for us."

The deep sea acts as a regulator for many critical processes that affect Earth's climate. It can function as a "sink" for greenhouse gases and helps offset the growing load of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This means that negatively impacting the ocean could also affect the way our climate responds. The ocean also regenerations nutrients through upwelling and this, in turn, helps fuel the marine web.

Many of these areas are located in international waters and outside of national jurisdiction. This makes them difficult to police. Fishing, in particular, could be an issue since advances in technology can allow fisheries to plumb the oceans at greater and greater depths. In addition, pollution and mining could also impact the deep sea.

"What became clear as we put together this ynopsis is that there is vast potential for future resources but we already benefit greatly through this environment," said Thurber. "What this means is that while the choices to harvest or mine will be decided over the coming decades, it is important to note that the stakeholders of this environment represent the entire world's population."

The findings are published in the journal Biogeosciences.