Collection of a sea pig crawling across the nodule-covered seafloor in the Clarion–Clipperton Zone. Credit: ROV Isis/SMARTEX The global demand for critical metals is rising quickly, prompting many countries to explore the possibility of extracting these valuable resources from the ocean floor. A new international study has revealed that this push toward deep-sea mining may have less overall environmental impact than scientists once feared. At the same time, the research shows clear local damage,