MELBOURNE: Deep-sea mining could interfere with migration of tuna that is expected to be driven by climate change to areas of the Pacific Ocean currently slated for mining activity, a study released on Tuesday showed.
Mining companies say the ocean floor is potentially rich in metals including nickel and cobalt used in batteries for electric vehicles, so their extraction will support the global energy transition. “The high seas harbour a trove of biodiversity, and there are critical sectors of our economy that depend on this biodiversity,” said study co-author Dr Juliano Palacios Abrantes from the University of British Columbia.
Potentially impacting the fish would be plumes of sediment stirred up by mining of sea nodules and any associated noise or light pollution that could impact reproduction rates, among other issues, the study found.