About this Research Topic

Background

Observation and exploration in the deep sea or at sea bed are important approaches for human beings to recognize earth system evolution, predict seabed resource formation, and understand natural disaster mechanisms. But at the same time, deep-sea environments are faced with the cumulative effects of many human activities, such as waste deposition, oil exploitation, maritime transport, and potential seabed mining. Therefore, it is necessary to assess the impact of these activities of mankind on the marine ecosystem. Despite the marine observation and exploration technologies being studied and utilized for decades, research and applications on relevant marine environment impact assessment (MEIA) standards are limited. Recognizing these environmental issues and developing effective standardization is essential for sustainable development.

Many international organizations have sought to compile public policies to regulate human activities in sea areas and focus on the marine environment. However, the technical standards for deep-sea observation, exploration and MEIA remain limited, especially for marine surveys. ISO/TC 8/SC 13, the marine technology subcommittee of the International Standardization Organization, focuses on the study of standards in marine observation, exploration and environmental protection. The goal of this Research Topic is not only to provide guidelines to standardize the technical requirements and basic procedures to promote the healthy development of this industry of marine observation and exploration but also to recognize the primary importance of appropriate MEIA standards.

There are increased demands on activities in the deep sea or at the sea bed, e.g. observation and exploration of resources at the sea bed, which may impact on ecosystem existing in these areas. Policies to manage marine environmental conditions have been proposed by agencies of the United Nations, including ecologically and biologically significant areas (EBSAs) by the Convention for Biological Diversity. Developing protocols for environmental impact assessments have been discussed in the meetings conducted by the scientific communities and international organizations, such as International Seabed Authority (ISA) and ISO. However, the standards for environmental impact assessments, which can provide specific technical support for United Nations policies and ISA protocols, still remain unclear. Therefore, a practical issue to address is the development of international standards for MEIA for observation and exploration in the deep sea area.

In this Research Topic, we aim to call for papers developing standards and studying the potential impacts of deep-sea observation and exploration activities on the marine environment, especially in technical innovation and policy orientation. We welcome original research articles, mini-reviews, and short communications on the following sub-themes (but not limited to):
• Adaptive strategies for developing international standards for MEIA;
• Use of standards or specifications to regulate marine observations and marine survey activities, including marine geological, geophysical, biological, hydro-meteorological surveys, and to reduce the impact of human activities on the deep-sea environment;
• Environmental assessment standard studies relating to seabed mining.

Keywords: ISO, marine exploration, marine observation, marine environment impact assessment, standard

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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