Deep-sea biodiversity, a source of critical ecological functions and ecosystem services, is increasingly subject to the threat of disturbance from existing practices (e.g., fishing, waste disposal, oil and gas extraction) as well as emerging industries such as deep-seabed mining. Current scientific tools may not be adequate for monitoring and assessing subsequent changes to biodiversity. In this paper, we evaluate the scientific and budgetary trade-offs associated with morphology-based taxonomy and metabarcoding approaches to biodiversity surveys in the context of nascent deep-seabed mining for polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, the area of most intense interest. For the dominant taxa of benthic meiofauna, we discuss the types of information produced by these methods and use cost-effectiveness analysis to compare their abilities to yield biological and ecological data for use in environmental assessment and management. On the basis of our evaluation, morphology-based taxonomy is less cost-effective than metabarcoding but offers scientific advantages, such as the generation of density, biomass, and size structure data. Approaches that combine the two methods during the environmental assessment phase of commercial activities may facilitate future biodiversity monitoring and assessment for deep-seabed mining and for other activities in remote deep-sea habitats, for which taxonomic data and expertise are limited. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:655–663. © 2021 SETAC

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深海生物多样性评估的形态学和分子学方法之间的科学和预算权衡

深海生物多样性是关键生态功能和生态系统服务的来源，正日益受到现有做法（如捕鱼、废物处理、石油和天然气开采）以及深海海底采矿等新兴产业的干扰威胁. 当前的科学工具可能不足以监测和评估生物多样性的后续变化。在本文中，我们评估了在克拉里昂-克利珀顿区新兴深海海底开采多金属结核的背景下，与基于形态的分类学和元条形码编码方法进行生物多样性调查相关的科学和预算权衡，该地区是最受关注的地区. 对于底栖小型动物的优势分类群，我们讨论了这些方法产生的信息类型，并使用成本效益分析来比较它们产生用于环境评估和管理的生物和生态数据的能力。根据我们的评估，基于形态的分类学比元条形码的成本效益低，但具有科学优势，例如密度、生物量和大小结构数据的生成。在商业活动的环境评估阶段结合这两种方法的方法可能有助于未来对深海海底采矿和在分类数据和专业知识有限的偏远深海栖息地的其他活动进行生物多样性监测和评估。基于形态的分类学比元条形码的成本效益低，但具有科学优势，例如密度、生物量和大小结构数据的生成。在商业活动的环境评估阶段结合这两种方法的方法可能有助于未来对深海海底采矿和在分类数据和专业知识有限的偏远深海栖息地的其他活动进行生物多样性监测和评估。基于形态的分类学比元条形码的成本效益低，但具有科学优势，例如密度、生物量和大小结构数据的生成。在商业活动的环境评估阶段结合这两种方法的方法可能有助于未来对深海海底采矿和在分类数据和专业知识有限的偏远深海栖息地的其他活动进行生物多样性监测和评估。2022 年整合环境评估管理；18：655–663。© 2021 SETAC