Scientists are sounding the alarm over the environmental risks posed by deep-sea mining, warning that the practice could cause irreversible damage to fragile ecosystems. The Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the Pacific, a six-million-square-kilometre abyssal plain rich in polymetallic nodules, has become the epicentre of this debate.
Despite its low biomass, the CCZ hosts extraordinary biodiversity, much of it dependent on nodules for habitat. As one study observed: 'Faunal diversity is extremely high, with deposit feeders comprising the overwhelming majority. Most species are rare, being encountered only once.'
