IUCN Briefing on Deep Sea Mining

https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues-briefs/deep-sea-mining

The National Oceanography Centre has produced a report outlining the impacts of deep sea mining Eco-Magazine    ‘A new study shows that the impacts of seabed mining on deep-sea ecosystems can persist for decades. Scientists at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) revisited a site exposed to simulated deep-sea mining activity nearly 30 years previously to assess seabed and ecosystem recovery. They used a robot submarine to map and photograph much of the seafloor in the disturbed area in unprecedented detail. The images were combined into a seafloor photo-mosaic completely covering 11 hectares of seabed, the largest ever photo-mosaic obtained in the abyssal ocean. Tracks on the seafloor caused by the simulated mining were still clearly visible, and the impacts on marine life initially observed in 1989 persist.’ Click here to see the report

Greenpeace Report: Unique species at risk of extinction due to deep sea mining 

Deep sea mining could lead to “the potential extinction of unique species which form the first rung of the food chain,” according to a report commissioned by an arm of the UK government and obtained by Unearthed using freedom of information rules. Although deep sea mining is yet to begin anywhere in the world, the UK holds the second most seabed exploration licenses after China. A parliamentary inquiry concluded earlier this year that should the UK go forward with deep sea mining, it “would have catastrophic impacts on the seafloor site and its inhabitants.” Our story was also covered in the FT.

Guardian: The Guardian have picked up on these activities and provide an overview. Deep-sea mining to turn oceans into ‘new industrial frontier’