Standardized environmental impact assessment methodologies to understand and manage human impacts and their associated risks for the deep sea.

The deep sea plays a crucial role in the health of the Ocean and the planet as a whole. Yet, essential ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration are under threat due to climate change. On top, activities in the deep sea such as oil and gas extraction, fishing, and potential new activities like mining and marine carbon dioxide removal may lead to habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, and disruption of critical ecosystem functions and services. Measuring and understanding baseline conditions in the deep sea, and the impacts of human activities are crucial for informed decision-making and sustainable management of a healthy Ocean and planet.

The Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) has the potential to act as a crucial milestone for States to be able to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, stablishing, among others, the obligation to conduct Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for planned activities beyond national jurisdiction. Within national jurisdiction, processes to conduct EIAs mainly rely on regional (such as the European Union) and national laws for different sectors and regimes. While the final aim of EIAs are to promote the sustainable use of Ocean resources while protecting marine ecosystems, a fundamental problem in deep-sea management and good governance is the lack of baseline knowledge on deep-sea conditions and the environmental problems associated with human activities. Insufficient robust baseline data and uncertainty about the extent of impacts prevent conclusive EIAs and proper ecosystem-based management.

As the anthropogenic impacts in the deep sea will continue and likely increase, a global effort towards efficient standardized EIAs and mitigate harm can be a powerful action for the maintenance of a healthy deep sea now and into the future. These standardized EIAs would promote the integration of governance of human activities in areas within and beyond national jurisdiction, support transdisciplinary research programs to better understand the role of the deep sea in Ocean and human health, investment in long-term monitoring and increase our knowledge on the deep-sea, while helping to reach the Global Biodiversity Framework Target of 30% effective protection by 2030.

This presentation will highlight the main findings and messages from the European Marine Board Future Science Brief on ‘Understanding the deep sea and its connection to Ocean health’, which recommends the development of comprehensive impact and risk assessment and monitoring methodologies for human activities in the deep sea, and the integration into regulatory practices of standardized environmental impact assessment protocols. The implementation of such deep-sea EIA methodologies can act as a way to promote sustainability of the uses of the deep sea.