Deep-Sea Mining Threatens Seabed Biodiversity, Study Reveals

Fri Dec 05 2025 18:22:40 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A significant study has unveiled that deep-sea mining operations severely impact biodiversity on the seabed, with a reduction of over 30% in animal populations in test areas. This research raises urgent questions about the environmental sustainability of mining in oceanic regions rich in critical minerals.

Recent research conducted by scientists from the Natural History Museum in London and partners has found that deep-sea mining operations reduce the number of seabed animals by 37% and could threaten biodiversity in vital ocean ecosystems. This study highlights the delicate balance between mining for essential minerals and protecting marine life, calling for stricter regulations on deep-sea mining activities as the world faces increasing demand for these resources.

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 that the company was allowed 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.

However, in the areas near the vehicle tracks, where clouds of sediment landed, the abundance of animals did not decrease.

We were expecting possibly a bit more impact, but [we didn't] see much, just a shift in which species were dominant over others, Dr Adrian Glover, research scientist at the Natural History Museum, noted.

The International Seabed Authority (ISA), which governs activity in international waters, has not yet approved commercial mining although it has issued 31 licences for exploration, amidst concerns about the potential damage mining could inflict on marine environments.

A total of 37 countries, including the UK and France, are backing a temporary ban on mining, while advocates for environmental protection warn that urgent action is necessary to safeguard the planet's oceans.