Deep sea mining tests impact a third of seabed animals – Greenpeace comment

Responding to reports that machines mining minerals in the deep ocean have been found to cause significant damage to life on the seabed, reducing the number of animals found in the tracks of the vehicles by 37% compared to untouched areas, Georgia Whitaker, Deep Sea Mining Campaigner at Greenpeace International, said: 

“Once again the science is making it clear that deep sea mining would make things worse, and this was just a test with a machine half the size of those intended to be used. The Metals Company is trying to spin attention away from the headline bad news but we’re talking about harming unique and precious newly-discovered marine creatures. It is misleading for TMC to claim that only the mining site itself would be affected. 

“Millions of people across the world are calling on governments to resist the dire threat of deep sea mining. Even those that were previously in favour, like Norway and the Cook Islands, are turning away from this industry. The UK government is reviewing its sponsorship of deep sea mining exploration licences. It must focus its efforts on building further support for a global moratorium. We must not let this industry destroy unique marine life, not in the Clarion Clipperton Zone, the Arctic or anywhere.”

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Contact: 

Alexandra Sedgwick, Greenpeace UK press officer, +44 7739 963 301, alexandra.sedgwick@greenpeace.org 

Editors’ notes: 

BBC News – ‘Deep-sea mining tests impact over a third of seabed animals – scientists’ 

A recent study by scientists at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa and published in the journal Nature Communications found that the sediment plumes caused by deep sea mining operations can disrupt marine life in the water column. It found evidence that the murky plume produced by mining operations dilutes the organic-rich food normally consumed by tiny drifting animals like zooplankton. Researchers warn that this could harm over half of these critical small organisms, potentially causing system-wide disruptions that impact bigger creatures.

BBC News – ‘Oxygen discovery defies knowledge of the deep ocean’ 

EE News – ‘Scientists, deep-sea miner spar over ‘dark oxygen’ discovery’

France 24 – ‘’Significant declines’ in some species after deep-sea mining: research’ 

Forbes – ‘Deep-Sea Mining Could Push Sharks and Rays Closer To Extinction’

British Geological Survey – ‘New study reveals long-term effects of deep-sea mining and first signs of biological recovery’ 

University of Exeter – ‘Deep-sea mining could harm remote ocean ecosystems’