US EditionPublished • loading... • Updated
Deep-sea mining risks disrupting the marine food web, study warns
- Thursday, the peer‑reviewed study published in Nature Communications found mining waste could affect organisms from tiny shrimp smaller than.08 inches to small fish in the twilight zone, disrupting the marine food web.
- Mining companies drill the seafloor for polymetallic nodules, and after recovery, they return excess seawater, sediment and ocean floor material to the ocean, as shown in a 2022 deep-sea mining trial.
- Sediment plumes can act as 'junk food' for zooplankton, affecting 60% of micronekton that feed on them, and undernourishment risks reducing catches of mahi mahi and tuna.
- Dr. Rashid Sumaila warned that DSM raises hazards for marine ecosystems and insurers, noting an estimated 11 per cent rise in threats as insurance companies withdraw from high-risk coastal areas and Pacific SIDS face $140 million annual losses by 2050.
- Regulatory activity persists, with NOAA sending a draft rule last month and the ISA granting exploration contracts, while Dr. Sumaila highlighted `Recently, researchers claim to have developed a process to recover nearly all of the lithium from used electric vehicle batteries for recycling.
Insights by Ground AI
44 Articles
44 Articles
Study warns deep-sea mining risks disrupting the marine food web
Drilling for minerals deep in the ocean could have immense consequences for the tiny animals at the core of the vast marine food web — and ultimately affect fisheries and the food we find on our plates, according to a new study.
·Canada
Read Full Article
Coverage Details
Total News Sources44
Leaning Left9Leaning Right4Center11Last UpdatedBias Distribution46% Center
Bias Distribution
- 46% of the sources are Center
46% Center
L 37%
C 46%
R 17%
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
