This Q&A with Cindy Van Dover was produced by the DSM Project as part of our awareness raising on deep seabed mining in the Pacific Islands region. Van Dover is a professor of Biological Oceanography at the Duke University in the United States and an expert on deep ocean exploration.
The video shows underwater footage from Seafloor Massive Sulphide sites bringing to life the surrounding environment. Prof. Van Dover answers such questions as:
What kinds of organisms live near the vents?
Why is it important to learn about these organisms?
Why should scientists be involved in commercial mining activities like Solwara 1 in Papua New Guinea?
What can be done to minimize the impacts of mining?