Deep-sea mining can cause irreparable harm to blue whales and other rare sea creaturesscientists warn.

A scientific paper published by the University of Exeter and Greenpeace Research Laboratories focuses on cases where cetacean habitats (such as whales, dolphins and turtles) overlap with deep sea mining areas, especially in the Pacific Ocean. The authors of the paper warn that urgent research is needed to assess the risks to these marine mammals.

A study published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science found that noise pollution in particular can be extremely detrimental to these sensitive and intelligent creatures.

Scientists speak of a constant disturbance from which sea creatures cannot escape, even likening it to the noisy work of construction crews or builders in the neighborhood of people.

“Imagine your neighborhood is being destroyed by construction work going on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your life will change dramatically. Your mental health will be compromised, you can change your behavior to avoid all this. It’s no different for whales or dolphins,” the doctor explains. Kirsten Thompson from the University of Exeter.

According to scientists and organizations, the sound of heavy mining equipment will produce noise that propagates to different depths, frequency disturbance where cetaceans communicate. In fact, the study concludes that constant discomfort can cause disease.

To date, mining impact studies have been limited to benthic species as this is a directly affected area. However, scientists warn that the impact of noise pollution on cetaceans and other large marine animals that may be at risk must be assessed before mining permits are issued.

Dolphins and humpback whales are among the 25 cetacean species found in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone between Mexico and Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean, a marine area said to be rich in minerals and minerals.

However, mining companies with a strong interest in this area have already signed 17 contracts for exploration and production in the subsoil of this part of the Pacific Ocean.

Although the companies have yet to obtain a commercial mining permit, they are asking the government for permission to do so in July this year.

“Deep-sea mining can create problems for the oceans in ways we don’t fully understand, and at the expense of species like the blue whale, which have been at the center of conservation efforts for years,” said Louise Casson, a member of Greenpeace.

Source: Guardian