Signal Each nodule mining operation could disturb over 200 square kilometres

Summary

The seafloor lies on average almost four kilometres down and can only be reached through expeditions and specialized technology, which long shielded it from human disturbance. The report explains that technological progress is eroding this protection and bringing the global seafloor within human reach. In future, deep-sea mineral mining could add new disturbed areas of more than 200 square kilometres for each polymetallic nodule mining operation. Commercial interest in these nodules focuses on abyssal plains roughly 4,000 to 6,000 metres deep. Experiments show that even limited disturbance in the deep sea can suppress ecosystem functions for decades or cause permanent loss. The report therefore calls for strong protection and a precautionary approach for these slow-recovering deep-sea habitats.