Description

The deep sea, the world’s largest biome, accounts for up to 90 percent of the marine environment. Though the deep sea is one of the most inaccessible areas on Earth, it plays a crucial role in regulating the planet including through the absorption and storage of immense quantities of the carbon dioxide released into the air by human activity.

The scientific community, civil society, fishing industry, and politicians have raised concerns that the risks associated with further damaging the deep-sea outweigh any potential net benefits for humankind. Many experts urge extreme caution, considering the inevitable and likely irreversible biodiversity loss if deep-sea mining is permitted.