Seamount larval dispersal networks: A potential strategy for conserving ecological connectivity from deep-sea mining.

ABSTRACT: Seamounts are unique habitats in the deep sea facing anthropogenic stressors, including future deep-sea mining. To conserve patchy marine habitats such as seamounts, it is critical to design conservation area networks that maintain connectivity by larval dispersal. This study conducted biophysical modeling to quantify larval dispersal among 18 seamounts in the Northwest Pacific, within the scope of a regional environmental management plan for mining under development by the International Seabed Authority. Seamounts formed a single dispersal network, but excluding seamounts with mining potential showed the network could become fragmented. Two seamounts whose mining potential was relinquished in 2024 were identified as key stepping stones, suggesting that environmental conservation at these

SUBMITTER: Saito N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12641082 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature