May 4, 2026

Review of the impacts of deep-sea mining on ocean ecosystems

The deep sea contains a wealth of mineral resources including cobalt, nickel and copper, widely used metals that are particularly important for the energy transition.  A new study led by London’s Natural History Museum and published in Current Biology examines the impacts of deep sea mining on ocean ecosystems, their extent and how long they could last.

This is the first comprehensive review of the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining and draws on 50 years of experimental studies. Journalists came to this briefing to hear from two of the authors and put their questions to them.

Speakers included:

Prof Adrian Glover, Head of the Deep-Sea Systematics and Ecology Group at the Natural History Museum

Prof Jon Copley, Professor of Ocean Exploration and Science Communication at the University of Southampton