Examining the evidence landscape for the socio-economic and environmental effects of deep-sea mining

The rapidly growing demand for specific metals and minerals combined with challenges with the terrestrial mining industry is spurring industry stakeholder and governments to look to the ocean floor for an alternative. However, the deep sea remains one of the most unexplored environments on earth and we know very little about its biogeochemical make-up or the ecosystems that it supports. This rapid evidence profile examines at a high-level what is known about and where there remain significant research gaps related to the effects of deep-sea mining.