Deep-Sea Mining Could Cause 25x the Biodiversity Loss of Land-Based Mining, Report Warns

Rising demand for metals like nickel, cobalt, copper and manganese to make batteries used in smartphones and electric vehicles, along with depleting land-based deposits, has led to increased interest in deep-sea mining. But the process of extracting mineral deposits from the ocean floor could destroy habitats and decimate species.  According to Planet Tracker, mining the ocean’s depths could cause as much as 25 times more biodiversity loss than terrestrial mining, reported Reuters. And the financial cost of repairing that damage would be twice as much as extracting it.  “The main indirect impacts of deep sea mining are associated with the sediment plumes and noise created by mining activity which could have far-reaching impacts on ocean ecosystems. For example, seabed communities could be smothered, toxic metals may be released, deep sea fisheries could be contaminated and nutrients could be introduced into otherwise nutrient-poor ecosystems.”  The loss of biodiversity could also be irreversible.