Megabenthic recolonization in an experimentally disturbed abyssal manganese nodule area

摘要: The near total removal of manganese nodules during commercial deep‐sea mining will destroy the habitat benthic hard‐bottom fauna within mined areas and result in formation a soft‐bottom community lower diversity. In 1989 first large‐scale long‐term experiment, DISCOL, was initiated abyssal tropical southeastern Pacific Ocean to study impact disturbances similar ocean on fauna. megabenthic assemblage recolonization disturbed area were monitored three cruises German research vessel SONNE by use an Floor Observation System with real‐time TV “photo‐on‐command” capabilities. results image analyses baseline postimpact studies demonstrate not only direct disturber tracks, but also apparent that primarily disturbed. Commercial create sediment plume, which drift away near‐bottom currents affect an...