Impact of Deep-Sea Mining: A Threat to Seabed Biodiversity Revealed

Fri Dec 05 2025 13:25:42 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

A recent study indicates that machines employed in deep-sea mining are responsible for a significant reduction in biodiversity, affecting over a third of seabed life in specific areas.

A comprehensive study conducted in the deep ocean reveals that deep-sea mining severely impacts marine biodiversity, with a 37% decline in animal numbers found in the tracks left by mining machines. Researchers emphasize the urgency of understanding the environmental consequences of such mining before pursuing mineral extraction in these critical ecosystems.

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 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 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 80 km on the seafloor.

They looked specifically at animals 0.3 mm – 2 cm 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.

Even if they are not killed by the machine, pollution from the mining operations could slowly kill some less resilient species, said Dr. Guadalupe Bribiesca-Contreras from the National Oceanography Centre.

The research was published in the scientific journal Nature Ecology and Evolution.

This study has raised concerns about the impact of mining technologies on the environment, with experts suggesting that the results should inform future actions regarding the exploration of deep-sea resources.