Environmental impacts and risks of deep-sea mining
National funding through JPI Oceans (BMFTR)
The JPI Oceans MiningImpact projects investigate the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining and improves scientific understanding of deep-sea ecosystems associated with marine mineral resources at the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the north-eastern Pacific Ocean, particularly at the Belgian exploration area (GSR) and German exploration area (BGR) issued by the International Seabed Authority.
MiningImpact 3 is the third phase of the European research programme ‘Environmental Impacts of Deep-sea Mining,’ led by Dr. Matthias Haeckel at GEOMAR Helmholtz-Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, investigating the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. It builds on the results of the previous MiningImpact projects (MiningImpact1 & MiningImpact2) and addresses remaining knowledge gaps related to polymetallic nodule (PMN) and seafloor massive sulphide (SMS) ecosystems. The project combines field observations, laboratory analyses, experiments and numerical modelling to improve the scientific basis for environmental management, monitoring and governance of potential deep-sea mining activities.
For polymetallic nodules, the project integrates previous datasets with new observations collected approximately five years after the Patania II collector test to evaluate ecosystem recovery. For inactive seafloor massive sulphide systems, MiningImpact 3 expands environmental baseline knowledge through dedicated field investigations. The project also develops monitoring approaches, environmental indicators and management tools to support evidence-based regulation of deep-sea mining.
Project website: https://www.jpi-oceans.eu/en/miningimpact-3
Partners: 32 partner institutions from Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Jamaica
Project lead:
Dr. Matthias Haeckel (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel)
Constructor University – Scientists involved:
Prof. Dr. Andrea Koschinsky
Duration: September 2025 – June 2029
Cruises:
• SO317 (28th December 2025 – 19th February 2026)
Following the Patania II collector test (cruise MANGAN 2021) and 1.5 year post-test investigation (Cruise SO295), the SO317 cruise continued conducting environmental baseline and post-impact monitoring in the BGR exploration area for PMN in the CCZ.
• SO322 (17th October 2026 – 9th December 2026)
The upcoming SO322 cruise aims to assessing seafloor recovery, measuring the long-term impact of suspended sediment plumes, and determining biodiversity loss and ecosystem health indicators 5 years after the Patania II collector test.
Main objectives of the Constructor University workgroups:
As part of MiningImpact 3, in the Constructor University Bremen (CUB) sub-project MetSpec – Trace Metals, Their Speciation and Biogeochemical Processes in Manganese Nodule Areas after the Collector Test, in collaboration with Dr. Katja Schmidt (Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources), our team focuses on investigating the spatial and temporal variability of trace metals in sediments, pore waters and bottom waters to improve understanding of ecosystem functioning, biodiversity and natural environmental variability in polymetallic nodule areas. We will evaluate the effects of mining disturbance on trace-metal cycling, sediment biogeochemistry and ecotoxicological responses, and develop geochemical indicators to support environmental monitoring and assessment. By integrating geochemical datasets with consortium-wide biological, geological and oceanographic observations derived from previous cruises, the project contributes to assessing ecosystem resilience and recovery following mining disturbance and to the development of monitoring concepts, environmental indicators and management tools for responsible deep-sea mining.
Publications from the previous Mining Impact 1 and 2 projects
Paul, S.A.L., Schmidt, K., Achterberg, E.P. and Koschinsky, A. (2024): The importance of the soluble and colloidal pools for trace metal cycling in deep-sea pore waters. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11, p.1339772. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1339772/abstract
Heinrich, L. and Koschinsky, A. (2022): Deep-Sea Mining: Can It Contribute to Sustainable Development? in: Transitioning to Sustainable Life below Water (Anna-Katharina Hornidge and Werner Ekau (Eds.)) https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-03897-877-0
Paul, S. A. L.; Zitoun, R.; Noowong, A.; Manirajah, M. and Koschinsky A. (2021): Copper-binding ligands in deep-sea pore waters of the Pacific Ocean and potential impacts of polymetallic nodule mining on the copper cycle. Scientific reports 11: 18425. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-97813-3
Volz, J., Liu, B., Köster, M., Henkel, S., Koschinsky, A. and Kasten, S. (2020): Post-depositional manganese mobilization during the last glacial period in sediments of the eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone, Pacific Ocean. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 532. 10.1016/j.epsl.2019.116012
Volz, J., Haffert, L., Haeckel, M., Koschinsky, A. and Kasten, S. (2020): Impact of small-scale disturbances on geochemical conditions, biogeochemical processes and element fluxes in surface sediments of the eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone, Pacific Ocean. Biogeosciences 17 (4), 1113-1131. 10.5194/bg-17-1113-2020
Paul, S. A. L., Haeckel, M., Bau, M., Bajracharya, R. and Koschinsky, A. (2019): Small-scale heterogeneity of trace metals including rare earth elements and yttrium in deep-sea sediments and porewaters of the Peru Basin, southeastern equatorial Pacific. Biogeosciences 16 (24), 4829–4849. 10.5194/bg-16-4829-2019
Heinrich, L., Koschinsky, A., Markus, T. and Singh, P. (2019): Quantifying the fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution of a potential commercial manganese nodule mining operation. Marine Policy 114, 10.1016/j.marpol.2019.103678
Paul, S. A. L., Volz, J. B., Bau, M., Köster, M., Kasten, S. and Koschinsky, A. (2019): Calcium phosphate control of REY patterns of siliceous-ooze-rich deep-sea sediments from the central equatorial Pacific. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 251, 56-72, 10.1016/j.gca.2019.02.019
Volz, J., Mogollón, J.M., Geibert, W., Martínez Arbizu, P., Koschinsky, A., Kasten, S. (2018): Natural spatial variability of depositional conditions, biogeochemical processes and element fluxes in sediments of the eastern Clarion-Clipperton Zone, Pacific Ocean. Deep-Sea Research Part I., 140, 159-172, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr.2018.08.006
Paul, S.A.L., Gaye, B., Haeckel, M., Kasten, S., and Koschinsky, A. (2018): Biogeochemical regeneration of a nodule mining disturbance site: Trace metals, DOC and amino acids in deep-sea sediment and pore waters. Frontiers in Marine Sciences, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00117
Koschinsky, A., Heinrich, L., Boehnke, K., Cohrs, C.J., Markus, T., Shani, M., Singh, P., Smith Stegen, K., and Werner, W. (2018): Deep‐sea mining: potential environmental, legal, economic, and societal implications ‐an interdisciplinary research. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4071