IUCN Warns Over 60% of Hydrothermal Vent Mollusc Species Threatened by Deep-Sea Mining

Published: Jul 10, 2026 09:13

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The IUCN's latest Red List shows that 125 of the 201 known mollusc species living around deep-sea hydrothermal vents are now classified as threatened. The organization warned that future seabed mining for critical minerals such as copper, cobalt and zinc could severely damage deep-sea ecosystems and reiterated its call for a moratorium on commercial deep-sea mining. The issue will be discussed at the upcoming International Seabed Authority (ISA) meeting in July.

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