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Scientists Found Quantitative Evidence of “Almost Commercial” Impact on the Pacific Seafloor: In Just a Few Hours, a Collector Removed 3,300 Tons of Nodules, Altered Communities Even Outside the Tracks by the Sediment Plume, and Raised Calls for Strict Limits and Monitoring
For years, the debate around deep-sea mining has oscillated between promises and uncertainties: the promise of essential metals for the energy transition and the doubt about the actual size of the environmental impact. Now, an industrial test in the deep Pacific has put concrete numbers into the discussion — and raised alarms among scientists.
In the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (between Mexico and Hawaii), a polymetallic nodule collection operation left a clear signal: species diversity dropped by about 32% in areas directly affected by the machine. And, according to researchers, this may just be the beginning.
A Strategic Resource… With an Invisible Cost
Polymetallic nodules are formations rich in nickel, cobalt, and manganese, metals considered strategic for batteries, electrification, and supply chains associated with the energy transition.
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Geologists find traces of a continent that disappeared 155 million years ago after separating from Australia and reveal that it did not sink, but broke into fragments scattered across Southeast Asia.
The problem is that these nodules grow millimeters over millions of years. In human terms, removing them does not simply mean extracting ore: it is withdrawing a non-renewable resource and, at the same time, eliminating the physical foundation that supports a large part of life on the ocean floor.
The Experiment That Changed the Tone of the Debate
What makes this case especially relevant is that it is not just about theoretical projections. It was one of the first quantitative measurements of the impact of an activity with characteristics close to a real commercial operation.
At a depth of 4,300 meters, in complete darkness, an industrial collector, described as approximately the size of a truck, operated for a few hours siphoning sediments and removing nodules. In that short period, the machine is estimated to have removed about 3,300 tons of material.
The study was conducted by an international consortium led by researchers from the London Natural History Museum, who monitored changes in the ecosystem over five years, comparing impacted areas with nearby control areas.
To differentiate the direct impact of mining from natural environmental variations, scientists applied a statistical method considered a benchmark in environmental studies: comparison between affected areas and unaffected areas at different times.
What Was Found in the Sediment
In the laboratory, more than 4,300 organisms (larger than 0.25 mm) were identified, grouped into 788 species, including worms, small crustaceans, and mollusks buried in the superficial layer of the seabed.
And it is precisely this layer that the machine disturbs while siphoning the nodules.
In the trails left by the equipment:
- diversity dropped by approximately 32%
- the density of animals also significantly decreased
Even in areas where the machine did not pass directly, the sediment plume raised by the activity was sufficient to alter the composition of dominant species in that environment.
The Detail That Most Concerns Scientists
The study also recorded little-known fauna. Among the findings is a solitary coral attached to the nodules, described as new species for science, in addition to small marine spiders and other rarely collected groups.
A critical point highlighted by researchers is that many species appear distributed irregularly, on scales of just a few meters. This suggests that the abyssal floor may be more diverse and fragmented than current maps indicate, making any attempt at restoration after the removal of the nodules even more unlikely.
Marks That Can Last Decades
Scientists observed that, even without human intervention, the composition of deep-sea communities varies over time, likely due to the amount of organic matter that reaches from the surface.
However, comparisons with historical disturbance tests in other ocean regions reveal a concerning fact: the physical marks left by the machinery may remain visible for decades. Some mobile organisms may return, but others simply do not reappear, not even in the medium term.
Why the Debate Is Gaining Momentum Now
The study emerges at a decisive moment. The International Seabed Authority (ISA), linked to the UN, is negotiating the rules that may allow or restrict commercial mining in international waters. For years, there has been discussion of a “Mining Code” that sets environmental standards, requiring impact studies and monitoring of ecosystem recovery.
With real data available, the debate is no longer hypothetical.
Moratorium: The Word Gaining Ground
In light of the evidence, a growing part of the scientific community advocates for a global moratorium, at least until there is sufficient information on cumulative impacts and ecological limits that, if exceeded, can make the damage irreversible.
Recent research suggests that any regulation should establish maximum limits on biodiversity loss and habitat alteration, below which recovery would still be possible.
What Comes Next
Deep-sea mining directly intersects with two central themes in current international negotiations: the biodiversity crisis and climate change, as well as the advancement of agreements to expand marine protected areas in international waters.
While governments, scientific organizations, and NGOs push for environmental safeguards, other countries and companies see these resources as a strategic piece for the economy of the energy transition.
But, with concrete measurements of the seafloor in hand, the question becomes inevitable:
Is the planet ready to open this new frontier, or are we about to repeat, on an unprecedented scale, an environmental mistake with no possibility of reversal?
(The study was published in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution*.)*
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