ISA to Standardize Fauna Taxonomy

To faciliate data standardization, the International Seabed Authority is pursuing efforts to standardize the taxonomy of three classes of fauna - megafauna, macrofauna and meiofauna.

The three classes of fauna are associated with the three mineral resources (polymetallic nodules, polymetallic sulphides and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts) for which the Authority has adopted rules, regulations and procedures for prospecting and exploration.

Speaking at an ocean mining industry round table meeting held in Tokyo, Japan on 28 January 2014, Secretary-General Odunton said the first of a series of three workshops to develop a standardized taxonomy for megafauna associated with polymetallic nodule deposits was convened in 2013. The next workshop in 2014 will address standardization of the taxonomy of macrofauna associated wiith polymetallic nodule deposits.

Secretary-General Odunton was the keynote speaker at the meeting which was sponsored by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In his address, the ISA Secretary-General spoke on the various functions of the Authority and its work on the applications for approval of plans of work for exploration for the three types of mineral resources in the Area (applications), the on-going work by contractors for exploration in the Area (contracts), the status of current work on the preparation of an exploitation code for deep seabed polymetallic nodules mining, capacity building, and marine environmental protection.