The race to mine battery minerals from the ocean floor would create a new stream of waste that could rob sea life of a critical food source, according to new research published today in the journal Nature Communications. That could have far-reaching effects across the ocean, potentially reaching larger fish like tuna that people depend on for food and livelihoods.
The findings come as President Donald Trump attempts to circumvent international law and give companies permission to mine the deep sea commercially, which has yet to happen anywhere in the world. The first company to apply for an international mining permit from the Trump adminis …