Impact of Deep-Sea Mining: 37% Reduction in Seabed Wildlife, New Study Reveals

Fri Dec 05 2025 23:31:47 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Recent research indicates that deep-sea mining activities have detrimental effects on marine life, causing a significant drop in the number of seabed animals and raising concerns about the environmental implications of mining practices.

A groundbreaking study reveals that deep-sea mining operations can lead to a 37% reduction in seabed animal populations. Conducted by scientists from leading institutions, the research underscores the environmental risks associated with extracting critical minerals from the ocean floor. With an increasing demand for these minerals for renewable energy technologies, the balance between resource extraction and ecological preservation remains a pressing issue. The findings, based on two years of field research in the Pacific Ocean, highlight the need for cautious approaches in deep-sea mining.

Machines mining minerals in the deep ocean have been found to cause significant damage to life on the seabed, scientists carrying out the largest study of its kind say.

The number of animals found in the tracks of the vehicles was reduced by 37% compared to untouched areas, according to the scientists.

The researchers discovered more than 4,000 animals, 90% of which were new species, living on the seafloor in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean.

Vast amounts of critical minerals needed for green technologies could be locked in the deep ocean, but deep-sea mining in international waters is very controversial and currently not permitted until more is known about the environmental impacts.

The research by scientists at the Natural History Museum in London, the UK National Oceanography Centre and the University of Gothenburg was conducted at the request of deep-sea mining company The Metals Company. The scientists said their work was independent and the company was able to view the results before publication but was not allowed to alter them.

The team compared biodiversity two years before and two months after the test mining that drove machines for 80km on the seafloor.

They looked specifically at animals 0.3mm – 2cm in size, such as worms, sea spiders, snails, and clams. In the tracks of the vehicle, the number of animals fell by 37% and the diversity of species by 32%.

The machine removes about the top five centimetres of sediment. That's where most of the animals live. So obviously, if you're removing the sediment, you're removing the animals in it too, lead author Eva Stewart, PhD student at the Natural History Museum and the University of Southampton, told BBC News.

Additionally, potential long-term impacts from pollution related to mining operations could jeopardize less resilient species.

The research took place in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a 6 million sq km area of the Pacific Ocean estimated to hold over 21 billion tonnes of nickel, cobalt, and copper-rich polymetallic nodules.

According to the International Energy Agency, demand for these minerals could at least double by 2040, raising pressing questions about sustainable extraction practices in delicate ecosystems.

Current deep-sea mining methods appear too destructive for large-scale commercial use, experts suggest, warning against proceed without adequate understanding of ecological risks.

This study is published in the scientific journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.