The study is the first to give a global overview
of all current plans to mine the seabed, in both national and international waters, and looks at the potential impacts including
physical destruction of seabed
habitats, creation
of large underwater plumes
of sediment and the effects
of chemical, noise and light pollution arising from mining operations.
Ecosystem and
habitat destruction: microplastics on beaches change the
physical properties
of beaches, such as heat retention and light reflection, which impacts organisms dependent on land temperature.