About Future Ocean Resources Map
Minerals on the ocean floor and the genetic and chemical wealth of marine life provide a number of opportunities for humanity, but lie in an environment that is host to a multitude of interacting factors. This map is a companion to the evidence pack produced by the Royal Society and is intended to help visualise many of the concepts outlined there.
Future Ocean Resources
An interactive experience
This Royal Society map explores two emerging classes of ocean based resources, metals from the deep ocean floor, and the application of the genetic materials and chemicals produced by marine life.
An ever increasing world population is driving the need for metals for use in electronics and low carbon technologies and novel drugs, not least antibiotics, to treat disease. This map aims to visualise where both resources can be found globally and how they interact.
Press play for guided map tour
01 Slide Title
About Future Ocean Resources Map
Minerals on the ocean floor and the genetic and chemical wealth of marine life provide a number of opportunities for humanity, but lie in an environment that is host to a multitude of interacting factors. This map is a companion to the evidence pack produced by the Royal Society and is intended to help visualise many of the concepts outlined there.
For more information on this project visit the Royal Society’s webpage.
Data Courtesy
Basemap
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
Minerals
Nodule prospective areas
James R Hein, USGS.
Crust prospective areas
James R Hein, USGS.
Hydrothermal vent positions
Beaulieu, S.E., 2015, InterRidge. Global Database of Active Submarine Hydrothermal Vent Fields: prepared for InterRidge, Version 3.3. World Wide Web electronic publication. Version 3.X accessed YYYY-MM-DD, URL http://vents-data.interridge.org.
Marine life
Sea ice
U.S National Ice Center
Cold seeps
Baker M, Ramirez-Llodra E, Perry D. ChEssBase: an online information system on species distribution from deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems. Version 3. Chemosynthetic Ecosystem Science (ChEss) project; 2010.
Deep sea trenches
Seafloor Geomorphic Features Map by Harris, P.T., Macmillan-Lawler, M., Rupp, J. and Baker, E.K. 2014. Geomorphology of the oceans. Marine Geology, 352: 4-24.
Canyons
Seafloor Geomorphic Features Map by Harris, P.T., Macmillan-Lawler, M., Rupp, J. and Baker, E.K. 2014. Geomorphology of the oceans. Marine Geology, 352: 4-24.
Shelf seas
Seafloor Geomorphic Features Map by Harris, P.T., Macmillan-Lawler, M., Rupp, J. and Baker, E.K. 2014. Geomorphology of the oceans. Marine Geology, 352: 4-24.
Seamounts
Yesson, Chris; Clark, MR; Taylor, M; Rogers, AD (2011): Knolls and seamounts in the world ocean - links to shape, kml and data files. doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.757563.
In supplement to: Yesson, C et al. (2011): The global distribution of seamounts based on 30-second bathymetry data. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 58(4), 442-453, doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2011.02.004.
Coral reefs
UNEP-WCMC, WorldFish Centre, WRI, TNC (2010). Global distribution of warm-water coral reefs, compiled from multiple sources including the Millennium Coral Reef Mapping Project. Version 1.3. Includes contributions from IMaRS-USF and IRD (2005), IMaRS-USF (2005) and Spalding et al. (2001). Cambridge (UK): UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. URL: http://data.unep-wcmc.org/datasets/1.
Freiwald A, Rogers A, Hall-Spencer J, Guinotte JM, Davies AJ, Yesson C, Martin CS, Weatherdon LV (2017). Global distribution of cold-water corals (version 3.0). Second update to the dataset in Freiwald et al. (2004) by UNEP-WCMC, in collaboration with Andre Freiwald and John Guinotte. Cambridge (UK): UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. URL: http://data.unep-wcmc.org/datasets/3.
Global patterns and predictors of marine biodiversity across taxa
Tittensor DP, Mora C, Jetz W, Lotze HK, Ricard D, Vanden Berghe E, Worm B (2010). Global patterns and predictors of marine biodiversity across taxa. Nature 466: 1098-1101. doi: 10.1038/nature09329; Data URL: http://data.unep-wcmc.org/datasets/17.
Legal
Exclusive Economic zones
Claus S., N. De Hauwere, B. Vanhoorne, F. Souza Dias, P. Oset García, F. Hernandez, and J. Mees (Flanders Marine Institute) (2017). MarineRegions.org. Accessed at http://www.marineregions.org on 2017-01-26.
For exploration licenced mining areas
International Seabed Authority.
Marine protected areas
IUCN and UNEP-WCMC (year), The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) [On-line], [July 2017], Cambridge, UK: UNEP-WCMC. Available at: www.protectedplanet.net.