European Study Reveals Deep-Sea Mining's Severe Blow to Seabed Fauna

Published: Jan 30, 2026 09:50

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Recently, a European research team, through the analysis of data collected from an industrial trial, discovered that deep-sea mining leads to a sharp decline in the abundance and diversity of seabed fauna, reigniting concerns over its potential ecological consequences.

The study, led by scientists from the Natural History Museum, the University of Gothenburg, and the National Oceanography Centre, tracked and monitored a deep-sea mining machine in the eastern Pacific Ocean to assess its potential impact on marine species over a two-year period.

This research, which collected data from 3,000 mt of polymetallic nodules at a depth of 4,280 meters, represents the largest assessment to date of the impact of deep-sea mining on marine life. The entire project took five years to complete, with the research team conducting over 160 days of offshore operations and three years of laboratory analysis.

The findings were published in the journal *Nature Ecology & Evolution*. The study revealed that during the sampling period, the density of macrofauna (organisms visible to the naked eye) in the mining area decreased by 37%, while species richness declined by 32%.

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