Noise from deep-sea mining in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, Pacific Ocean will impact a broad range of marine taxa

Deep-sea mining activities in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), Pacific Ocean, are expected to generate continuous noise pollution across multiple depth zones, with potential impacts on biodiversity. Impact studies have primarily focused on sediment plumes and habitat destruction, leaving consequences of industrial-scale deep-sea mining noise largely unexplored. Many marine taxa, including invertebrates, fish, and mammals, rely on sound for communication, navigation, and predator avoidance. Our systematic literature review highlights that noise sensitivity is widespread across taxa, yet only 35 % of taxonomic classes known in the CCZ have been studied for noise impacts. Soniferous fish, which rely on acoustic communication, are particularly vulnerable to noise. Chronic exposure to mining noise may have cascading ecological consequences, disrupting key behaviors and physiological processes in an environment characterized by low anthropogenic stressors. By identifying knowledge gaps and quantifying taxa likely to be vulnerable to industrial noise, this review provides the foundation to guide evidence-based management required to safeguard deep-sea ecosystems. Given the uncertainty surrounding deep-sea biotic responses to prolonged noise exposure, we emphasize the urgent need for a transparent transfer of knowledge on noise characteristics of deep-sea mining. These data are essential for assessing risks from mining noise to species, communities, and ecosystem functions and services.