Deep-sea mining starves life in the ocean’s twilight zone

Deep-sea mining operations create sediment plumes that act like "junk food" for marine life in the ocean's twilight zone, replacing nutritious natural particles with waste containing far fewer amino acids. New research found that 53% of zooplankton and 60% of micronekton would be affected by mining discharge in the Pacific's Clarion-Clipperton Zone. These disruptions could cascade through the entire marine food web, potentially impacting commercial fisheries and carbon storage systems that help regulate Earth's climate.