But opponents calling for moratoriums or bans note that the same study that The Metals Company refers to as evidence of quick recovery eventually reached more pessimistic conclusions from its data as a whole. “The effects of polymetallic nodule mining are likely to be long term,” the authors wrote, and the analyses “show considerable negative biological effects of seafloor nodule mining, even at the small scale of test mining experiments.” Scientists are concerned that deep-sea organisms, which are adapted to living in a dark, quiet, and sparsely populated environment, will not cope well with the noise and light disturbances from mining. The organisms will also be exposed to toxic metals and plumes of sediment that can interfere with feeding and breathing. The Metals Company did not respond to several requests for comment.