Greenpeace and the Center for Biological Diversity released a report and staged a protest Monday in Manzanillo, Mexico, to oppose deep-sea mining [1].

The action targets the extraction of polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor. These nodules contain metals essential for electronic devices, but critics warn that mining them threatens fragile marine ecosystems.

The focus of the report is the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a region spanning six million square kilometres [1] located between Hawaii and Mexico. Activists said the environmental risks associated with submarine mining in this area are too great to ignore.

By staging the protest in Manzanillo, the organizations aimed to bring public attention to the potential destruction of biodiversity in the deep ocean. The report details how the process of extracting these minerals could disrupt the seabed, and the species that rely on it.

While this specific action occurred in Mexico, the group has engaged in similar high-profile efforts globally. In a separate action in the Arctic, a Greenpeace underwater protest banner reached a depth of 2,315 metres below the surface [2].

The push against deep-sea mining comes as global demand for battery metals increases. However, the Center for Biological Diversity said the ecological cost of these operations outweighs the mineral gains.

“Greenpeace and the Center for Biological Diversity released a report warning about the dangers of deep‑sea mining.”

The protest highlights a growing tension between the green energy transition and marine conservation. As the tech industry seeks minerals like cobalt and nickel for batteries, the Clarion-Clipperton Zone has become a primary target for industrial interest, pitting economic resource security against the preservation of unexplored deep-sea biodiversity.