Deep-Sea Mining Tests Reveal Alarming Impact on Seabed Biodiversity

Fri Dec 05 2025 13:29:21 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A new study shows that deep-sea mining activities significantly reduce seabed animal populations by over a third, raising environmental concerns.

Recent research has uncovered that deep-sea mining causes significant harm to marine life, with a 37% reduction in animal numbers where mining activities occurred. This study, involving over 4,000 animals and revealing 90% new species, highlights the urgent need for assessing the environmental impacts of extracting critical minerals from ocean depths. While these minerals are essential for green technologies, the ecological costs may be exceptionally high, prompting calls for stricter regulations on mining practices.

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.

They found that the number of animals found in the tracks of the vehicles was reduced by 37% compared to untouched areas.

The researchers found 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 conducted by scientists at the Natural History Museum in London, the UK National Oceanography Centre, and the University of Gothenburg was commissioned by deep sea mining company The Metals Company. The study was independent, and the company could only view the results before publication without altering them.

The analysis compared biodiversity two years before and two months after test mining conducted over 80km on the seafloor, focusing on animals sized between 0.3mm and 2cm, such as worms, sea spiders, snails, and clams.

The results indicated a 37% decrease in animal populations and a 32% reduction in species diversity in mined areas. Lead author Eva Stewart stated, The machine removes about the top five centimetres of sediment. That's where most of the animals live, removing both sediment and the animals within it.

Experts caution that even if not directly killed by mining machines, pollution from these operations could harm less resilient species over time. The study raises questions about the long-term resilience of affected species.

Despite these findings, representatives from The Metals Company believe the data suggests that mining impacts are limited to the mined area, a notion challenged by environmental experts who argue that current harvesting technologies are too damaging for large-scale exploration.

With the world increasingly reliant on minerals such as nickel and copper for renewable energy technologies, the need for responsible exploration methods has never been more urgent. As debates surrounding deep-sea mining continue, the latest research underscores the ecological risks versus the necessity for minerals crucial to combating climate change.

The findings are published in the scientific journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, reigniting discussions on the balance between resource extraction and environmental conservation.