Abstract: The Western-Pacific region contains abundant polymetallic nodule resources. Effectively exploiting these resources is of great significance for the metal resources supply in China. To verify the feasibility of deep-sea mining and achieve commercial mining, it is necessary to conduct in-situ sea trials of the mining system in the mining area and develop environmental monitoring procedures to assess the impact of the mining operations on the environment. This study focuses on the monitoring content and monitoring plans by establishing a set of environmental monitoring and impact assessment procedures. It details the environmental monitoring procedures for sea trials across pre-trial, in-progress, and post-trial phases. The results show that polymetallic nodule mining is feasible in the Western-Pacific region. However, the impacts of mining plumes and sediments on the bottom marine ecosystem should be considered carefully, alongside the formulation of effective mitigation measures.

Key words: deep-sea mining, polymetallic nodule, environmental monitoring, system sea trial

摘要： 西太平洋地区蕴含丰富的多金属结核资源,科学、有效地开采对于我国未来金属资源供应具有重要意义。为验证深海采矿可行性、实现商业化开采,需进行采矿系统矿区原位海试,同时开发相应的环境监测程序,以评估采矿作业对环境的影响。该文通过建立1套环境监测和环境影响评价流程,重点讨论了环境监测内容和监测方案;同时,针对海试作业,详细介绍了海试前、中、后的环境监测程序。结果表明：在西太平洋地区可开展多金属结核开采活动,但应着重考虑采矿羽流和沉积物对底层海洋生态系统的影响,并制定有效的控制措施。

关键词: 深海采矿, 多金属结核, 环境监测, 系统海试