Oceanography Areas near mid-ocean ridges are being approved for mining, and protecting these diverse seafloor ecosystems is critical The International Seabed Authority is responsible for regulating deep-sea mining in the high seas. This agency has developed environmental management plans to protect local diversity by identifying areas where mining should be prohibited. Dunn et al. developed an ecological framework to identify criteria for establishing such mining-free regions on mid-ocean ridges. The areas should be at least 200 kilometers long to hold regional biodiversity intact. Furthermore, the species within these areas should be distributed properly to maintain population connectivity. Sci. Adv. 10.1126/sciadv.aar4313 (2018).