Regional Environmental Assessment for

the Northwest Pacific Ocean

Cover Image ©COMRA from Cawei Seamount

Background document prepared for the workshop on the

development of a regional environmental management plan for the
Area of the Northwest Pacific

26 October - 6 November, 2020

Online workshop
Contents
Contributors .............................................................................................................................................................3
1 Background .......................................................................................................................................................4
2 Purpose and scope of the document ...............................................................................................................6
3 Overview of contract areas for exploration of mineral resources in the Northwest Pacific Ocean ................7
4 Geology of the Northwest Pacific Ocean....................................................................................................... 12
4.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................................ 12
4.2 Tectonics and magmatism ..................................................................................................................... 13
4.3 Bathymetry and topography ................................................................................................................. 14
4.3.1 Depth profile at the regional scale ................................................................................................ 14
4.3.2 Bathymetry and topography of the Magellan Mountains............................................................. 18
4.3.3 Bathymetry and topography of the Markus Wake Rise ................................................................ 20
4.3.4 Bathymetry and topography of other seamounts......................................................................... 21
4.4 Seamounts ............................................................................................................................................. 21
4.4.1 Geomorphological features of studied seamounts in the Northwest Pacific ............................... 22
4.5 Abyssal plains......................................................................................................................................... 28
4.6 Sediment fluxes ..................................................................................................................................... 30
4.7 Other geomorphological features ......................................................................................................... 35
4.8 References ............................................................................................................................................. 37
5 Oceanography of the Northwest Pacific Ocean ............................................................................................ 41
5.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................................ 41
5.2 Physical oceanography .......................................................................................................................... 41
5.2.1 Regional circulation ....................................................................................................................... 41
5.2.2 Spatial distribution of mesoscale eddies in the Northwest Pacific region .................................... 43
5.2.3 Distribution of physical water properties...................................................................................... 45
5.2.4 Local flow environment ................................................................................................................. 46
5.2.5 Temporal and spatial variability .................................................................................................... 54
5.3 Chemical oceanography ........................................................................................................................ 57
5.3.1 Distribution of chemical water properties .................................................................................... 57
5.3.2 Local chemical environment .......................................................................................................... 58
5.4 References ............................................................................................................................................. 62
6 Biology of the Northwest Pacific Ocean ........................................................................................................ 66

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 6.1 Overview ................................................................................................................................................ 66
6.2 Biology of the surface and midwater environment .............................................................................. 67
6.2.1 Spatial distribution ........................................................................................................................ 67
6.2.2 Temporal variability ....................................................................................................................... 87
6.2.3 Ecosystem function ....................................................................................................................... 88
6.2.4 Connectivity ................................................................................................................................... 89
6.2.5 Resilience and recovery ................................................................................................................. 90
6.3 Benthic biology ...................................................................................................................................... 95
6.3.1 Spatial distribution ........................................................................................................................ 96
6.3.2 Temporal variability ..................................................................................................................... 135
6.3.3 Trophic relationships ................................................................................................................... 135
6.3.4 Ecosystem function ..................................................................................................................... 139
6.3.5 Connectivity ................................................................................................................................. 139
6.3.6 Resilience and recovery ............................................................................................................... 143
6.4 References ........................................................................................................................................... 151
Annex 1: Detailed document outline used to prepare the REA report ............................................................... 176

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Contributors

Chapters 1 – 3 of this report were prepared by the Secretariat of the International Seabed Authority.

Chapters 4 – 6 were prepared by experts. The expert contributors to the three chapters on the geology,
oceanography and biology of the Northwest Pacific Ocean are detailed below and their names are arranged in
alphabetical order:

Chapter 4: Geology of the Northwest Pacific Ocean

- Tatyana M. Khulapova
- Maria V. Kruglyakova
- Huaiming Li
- Irina Ponomareva
- Phil Weaver
- Kyoko Yamaoka
- Hyung Jeek Kim

Chapter 5: Oceanography of the Northwest Pacific Ocean

- Masayuki Nagao
- Ayumi Tsukasaki
- Yeping Yuan

Chapter 6: Biology of the Northwest Pacific Ocean

- Rachel Boschen-Rose
- Amy Baco
- Cherisse Du Preez
- Akira Iguchi
- Eri Ikeuchi
- Tina Molodtsova
- Miyuki Nishijima
- Viacheslav Melnik
- Xue-Wei Xu

Acknowledgments
The ISA secretariat acknowledges the collaboration of the following organizations (in alphabetical order) in
preparing this report:
- China Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada
- Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation
- JSC Yuzhmorgeologiya
- Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Japan
- P. P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences
- Second Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Nature Resources, China