Habitat heterogeneity is known to influence faunal community structure, but its influence on deep-sea benthic communities remains understudied, particularly for polymetallic nodule environments in abyssal waters. As nodules are currently of interest for mining, understanding the potential impact of this disturbance on habitat heterogeneity, and the subsequent effect on faunal communities, becomes critical for developing environmental management plans. Research investigating the influence of habitat heterogeneity on abyssal benthic communities in proposed mining areas is receiving attention in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (Central Pacific). However, similar studies have not yet taken place in other nodule areas (e.g., in the South Pacific), where habitat heterogeneity could be greater or more variable. Although some aspects of the influence of habitat heterogeneity on the benthic fauna of nodules have been studied, the influence on multiple size components of the benthic community across varying spatial scales has not yet been fully assessed. Without robust knowledge about the structure of these communities, extractive industries may irreversibly alter ecosystems before they––and the ecosystem services they support––are fully understood. This poster will review extant paradigms regarding habitat heterogeneity-community structure relationships and disturbance in polymetallic nodule environments, and assess their relevance to informing the management of deep-sea mining.