Seabed mining: As Canadian company files application, new studies warn of grave threats to marine life

Just two months after The Metals Company, a Canadian deep-sea minerals exploration firm, applied to the United States for permits to mine the Pacific seabed, new research has sounded an alarm about the potential harm the activity could cause to ocean life, including whales and dolphins.

The first of the two studies on the subject, published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, reviewed the noise sensitivity of species in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the Eastern Pacific. This area is the proposed site for deep-sea mining of raw materials crucial for the 'green transition'.

The research revealed a significant knowledge gap: 65 per cent of taxonomic classes in CCZ, encompassing organisms that share common attributes, have not been studied for impacts from noise pollution.

The second study, published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, surveyed two blocks within CCZ, specifically earmarked for deep-seabed mining. It documented the presence of a sperm whale, a species listed as vulnerable in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species, and acoustically identified 70 dolphin groups.

“We already knew that the CCZ is home to at least 20 species of cetaceans, but we’ve now demonstrated their presence in two areas specifically earmarked for deep sea mining by The Metals Company,” Kirsten Young, lead study author and lecturer at the University of Exeter, said in a statement.

The CCZ spans roughly 6 million square km area punctuated by seamounts. Though commercial deep-sea mining for exploitation is not a reality yet, some 17 contracts for exploration have so far been granted by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the United Nations body responsible for deep sea mining activities in areas beyond national jurisdiction. 

In April 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order to expedite the review and issuance of seabed mineral exploration licenses and commercial recovery permits in areas beyond national jurisdiction. This was done under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act, passed by Congress in 1980 to allow the United States to proceed with seabed mining activities until an international regime was in place.

Following this, the US subsidiary of The Metals Company submitted its application to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for two exploration licenses and one commercial recovery permit under this act.

Meanwhile, ISA is conducting intergovernmental meetings to develop a mining code for exploitation of minerals. So far, 37 states have taken positions against deep-sea mining in international waters. 

The topic came up at the recently concluded United Nations Ocean Conference in June. “Nations are navigating new waters on seabed mining. I support the ongoing work of the ISA on this important issue. The deep sea cannot become the Wild West,” António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, said at the conference.

The seabed outside national jurisdiction, also known as "The Area", falls under ISA's jurisdiction. All parties to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are members of ISA; however, the US is not a signatory to UNCLOS.

What do the two new studies say?

The Marine Pollution Bulletin review highlighted that deep-sea mining activities are expected to generate continuous noise pollution across multiple depth zones, potentially impacting biodiversity. 

The study emphasised that the consequences of industrial-scale deep-sea mining noise are largely unexplored, with only 35 per cent of taxonomic classes known in CCZ having been studied for noise impacts. This is particularly concerning for soniferous fish (sound-producing organisms), which rely on acoustic communication. 

The potential impacts range from physiological damage and disruption of critical behaviours (such as foraging, settlement and communication) to even mortality.

Young explained that many species here are long-lived and slow-growing, especially on the seabed. “It’s very hard to predict how seabed mining might affect these species and wider ecosystems, and these risks must urgently be assessed,” the expert added.

The second study involved a 13-day survey of whales and dolphins during the summer of 2023 from the Greenpeace vessel Arctic Sunrise. Researchers collected acoustic data using hydrophones, underwater devices that detect and record ocean sounds. 

They gathered 273 hours of acoustic recordings, providing a snapshot of cetacean presence in the two regions targeted by The Metals Company for deep-sea mining. In addition to the sperm whale, the study visually detected two groups of Risso’s dolphins and one group of common dolphins. Organisms like sperm whales are vulnerable to anthropogenic noise, putting them at risk from sounds emitted by future deep-sea mining operations.

Young explained that many species are highly sensitive to certain frequencies and chronic ocean noise can hinder social and foraging communications, forcing displacement of whales from critical habitats.

“The confirmed presence of cetaceans, including threatened sperm whales, in areas that The Metals Company is targeting for deep sea mining is yet another clear warning that this dangerous industry must never be allowed to begin commercial operations,” Louisa Casson of Greenpeace International said in a statement.