09 Dec 2025
Photo by NOAA A large-scale deep-sea mining trial has caused a 37% decline in the abundance of animals living on the Pacific Ocean floor, according to the most comprehensive study of its kind published in Nature Ecology & Evolution. The research provides critical evidence as international regulators debate whether to permit commercial seabed mining. Scientists from […]
11 Nov 2025
Photo by Naomi August Deep-sea mining operations could severely disrupt marine life in the ocean’s “twilight zone” by replacing nutritious food particles with sediment “junk food,” according to the first study to examine the impact of mining waste on this critical ecosystem. Research published in Nature Communications found that 53% of all zooplankton and […]
28 Oct 2025
Pacific activists protest exploration vessel as geopolitical rivalry intensifies over critical mineral resources. Photo by NOAA The United States and China are engaged in an intensifying competition for access to deep-sea mineral resources in the Cook Islands’ exclusive economic zone, raising concerns amongst environmental campaigners and indigenous communities about the ecological and geopolitical implications of […]