The extraction of minerals from the seabed of the deep oceans is of increasing interest to investors, mining companies and some coastal states. To date, no commercial-scale deep seabed mining has taken place but there is considerable pressure for minerals mining to become an economic reality, including to supply the projected demand for metals to support a global transition to renewable energy. At the same time, the full environmental impacts of deep seabed mining are difficult to predict but are expected to be highly damaging, both within, and perhaps well beyond, the areas mined. Here, we reflect on the considerable uncertainties that exist in relation to deep seabed mining. In particular, we provide a perspective on: 1) arguments that deep seabed mining is needed to supply minerals for the green energy revolution, using the electric vehicle battery industry as an illustration; 2) risks to biodiversity, ecosystem function and related ecosystem services; and 3) the lack of equitable benefit sharing to the global community now and for future generations. We explore the justification for a global moratorium on deep seabed mining to ensure protection of marine ecosystems, the need to focus on baseline research, and how improved governance of targeted marine regions could be key to the preservation and conservation of the ocean biome.

中文翻译：

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从金属需求、生物多样性、生态系统服务和利益共享的角度挑战深海海底采矿的需求

从深海海底开采矿物越来越引起投资者、矿业公司和一些沿海国家的兴趣。迄今为止，尚未进行商业规模的深海海底采矿，但要使矿产开采成为经济现实，包括供应预计的金属需求以支持全球向可再生能源过渡，面临着相当大的压力。与此同时，深海海底采矿对环境的全面影响难以预测，但预计会在开采区域内甚至更远的区域造成高度破坏。在这里，我们反思了与深海海底采矿相关的相当大的不确定性。特别是，我们提供了一个观点：1) 需要深海海底采矿来为绿色能源革命提供矿物的论点，以电动汽车电池行业为例；2) 对生物多样性、生态系统功能和相关生态系统服务的风险；3) 现在和子孙后代没有公平地分享给全球社会的利益。我们探讨了全球暂停深海海底采矿以确保保护海洋生态系统的理由、关注基线研究的必要性以及改善目标海洋区域的治理如何成为海洋生物群落保护和保护的关键。