• Heavy machinery scraping the seafloor to access and extract minerals can wholly alter or destroy the habitats of deep-sea life, potentially leading to the loss of species and delicate ecosystem structures. Many deep-sea species are endemic, only occurring in specific areas, meaning mining operations could wipe out entire species by scraping the sea floor.  

• Scientists have expressed concerns over sediment plumes, the disturbance of silt, clay, and microorganisms creating plumes of suspended particles that will disperse beyond the mining area, burying and smothering organisms. Sediment waste water will also be dumped in the midwater zone, where it could affect whales, plankton, fish, and migratory species such as whale sharks and sea turtles.   

• Rivian, Renault, BMW Group, Volvo, and Volkswagen have already supported a moratorium on deep sea mining because of the risks to the environment. https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/news/greenpeace-ranking-five-major-electric-vehicle-companies-say-no-to-deep-sea-mining/ 

• It’s time for GM, Ford and Tesla to commit to not sourcing metals from the deep sea