Animals found inside deep-sea mineral nodules
Tiny animals smaller than a millimetre are living inside metal-rich lumps targeted by deep-sea miners, raising fresh environmental concerns for the Pacific Ocean floor.
Scientists discovered creatures sheltering in the cracks and pores of polymetallic nodules, according to a study published in Scientific Reports and reported by Oceanographic Magazine. Researchers from the University of Bremen’s MARUM centre and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research examined 244 nodules from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
The team counted 4,139 animals across the samples, averaging 17 creatures per nodule while one single lump held 245.
Polymetallic nodules grow slowly at great depths
The polymetallic nodules lie between 4,000 and 6,000 metres below the ocean surface. These mineral formations grow slowly, adding only a few millimetres every million years.
Professor Sabine Gollner, part of the international research team, warned that commercial mining could cause an irreversible loss of unique biodiversity that has not yet been fully described by science.
Metals Company seeks permits for deep-sea mining
The new biological findings emerge as deep-sea mining edges closer to active production. The US subsidiary of the Metals Company has applied for an exploration licence and a commercial recovery permit.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found the application in full compliance with information requirements. The company expects to receive a permit before the end of the first quarter of 2027, according to its own forecast, though the agency must still finalise an environmental impact statement.
Pacific nodule mining questions
Where were the nodule-dwelling animals discovered?
Researchers found the animals inside polymetallic nodules collected from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean at depths between 4,000 and 6,000 metres.
Will nodule mining cause global extinctions?
It remains unclear whether the loss of these unique habitats would lead to global extinctions, and lead author Dr Tanja Stratmann is currently on a new expedition to the zone to investigate further.
When might commercial recovery permits be issued?
The Metals Company expects to receive a commercial recovery permit before the end of the first quarter of 2027, provided the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration finalises its environmental impact statement.
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