Researchers Detect 5,000 Species Threatened by Deep Sea Mining
Scientists have only identified a fraction of the species in the region of the Pacific Ocean targeted for the mining of EV battery metals.
A collection of deep-sea species identified by researchers.
Photo courtesy of Trustees of the Natural History Museum London
Researchers have released the first tally of deep ocean animals that inhabit the seabed targeted for strip mining, finding more than 5,000 species — nearly all of them unknown to science.
The peer-reviewed paper published in the journal Current Biology on Thursday highlights the lack of scientific knowledge about the biodiversity of the deep ocean, and arrives as the United Nations-affiliated International Seabed Authority (ISA) prepares to allow mining to commence as soon as next year. The UN Convention on the Law of the Sea established the ISA in 1994 with a mandate to manage the exploration and exploitation of the seabed in international waters while at the same time ensuring the effective protection of the marine environment.