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. Deep-sea mining means drilling the seafloor for “polymetallic nodules” loaded with critical minerals including copper, iron, zinc and more. While not yet commercialized, nations are pursuing deep-sea operations amid rising demand for these minerals in electric vehicles and other parts of the energy transition, as well as for technology and military use. The researchers examined water and waste gathered from a deep-sea mining trial in 2022.

What the study discovered

University of Hawaii researchers studied an area of the Pacific Ocean called the “twilight zone,” a

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