Living and Non-living Resources in Brazilian Deep Waters

In Brazil, deep-sea marine environments extend over 3.5 million km2, covering nearly 80% of Brazil’s Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) in the southern tropical and subtropical Atlantic Ocean. Over this area, the exploitation of both living and non-living resources have gradually increased and supported by natural geological resources, scientific knowledge, geopolitics, economic interests, and technological development. Deep-sea fisheries developed between 2000 and 2008 in the slope areas off southeastern and southern Brazil, declining afterwards mostly because fish and shellfish stocks were shown to be little productive and little resilient. In contrast, large deep (200–2000 m) and ultra-deep (> 2000 m) oil and gas reservoirs were discovered off southeastern Brazil (Campos and Santos Basins) and were increasingly exploited by the national industry. In recent years, over 80% of Brazil’s annual oil and gas production is extracted from these reservoirs, particularly from the so-called pre-salt layers. Deep-sea minerals off Brazil have long been mapped but the exploration and exploitation initiatives were incipient and focused on cobalt-rich ferromanganese crust deposits distributed in a large topographic feature known as Rio Grande Rise. Studies of the biotechnological potential of marine bacteria from the deep South Atlantic Ocean have focused mainly on hydrolytic enzymes and bioremediation. Their use in technological products in the next decade, however, still demands considerable technological development. A major concern, common to all deep-sea resources off Brazil, includes the effectiveness of the regulatory and management processes. Deficiencies, particularly regarding governance issues, have greatly hampered deep-sea fishing and may affect other activities as well. International management regimes, as required outside areas of national jurisdiction, are sometimes absent or need improvement to allow for the environmentally sustainable use of living and non-living deep-sea resources.