Vent molluscs make up less than 1% of global mollusc species.
Notes on verification
Confirmed via multiple outlets citing IUCN/Reuters data on 201 known vent-endemic mollusc species against a total described mollusc diversity of ~50,000-85,000+, consistently yielding under 1%. Though many sources trace to one Reuters story, the underlying math is independently verifiable via mollusc biodiversity literature.
Sources
- IUCN Warns Seabed Mining Threatens Rare Molluscs | MarineBio (marinebio.org)
- https://www.mining.com/deep-sea-mining-threatens-60-of-vent-species-iucn/ (mining.com)
- https://www.miningmx.com/news/markets/65862-deep-sea-mining-threatens-rare-molluscs/ (miningmx.com)
- https://www.marinetechnologynews.com/news/mollusks-threatened-mining-efforts-664161 (marinetechnologynews.com)
- https://www.bairdmaritime.com/offshore/undersea-mining/seabed-mining-risks-vent-mollusc-extinction-activist-group-claims (bairdmaritime.com)
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266200500_A_New_Critical_Estimate_of_Named_Species-Level_Diversity_of_the_Recent_Mollusca (researchgate.net)