The deep ocean covers more than half the Earth surface and supports extraordinary biodiversity, yet deep sea animal welfare is almost entirely unstudied. Emerging threats from deep sea mining deserve welfare attention.
Deep sea animal welfare is almost entirely beyond current scientific reach — we cannot observe, measure, or respond to the welfare of animals in an environment we have barely explored. Yet deep sea animals are affected by human activities including deep sea trawling, which destroys centuries-old communities, and the emerging threat of deep sea mining, which would strip the seabed of the nodule communities that support unique faunas. The precautionary principle is particularly important in this context — the unknown nature of deep sea animal experiences does not justify ignoring potential welfare harms caused by extractive activities.