Mining the Ocean's Treasures
Decision on Deep-Sea Mining could shape the future of our oceans for millennia
Howdy there! Let's dive deep into the realm of the mysterious and the valuable - the deep ocean! The ocean's floor may be a foreign landscape for most of us, but it hides a fortune that's been tantalizing humankind for decades. We're talking about the elusive polymetallic nodules, a potential treasure trove of metals vital for industrial growth. But, there's a catch - the race to claim this underwater bounty is on, and the regulations haven't quite caught up yet.
These metallic rocks, known for their nickel, cobalt, manganese, and copper contents, have been attracting attention for their industrial applications, notably in steelmaking and renewable energy technology. Back in the 1960s, a visionary mining engineer, John Mero, envisioned the vacuums of the deep ocean as a mine of untapped wealth. The idea swiftly caught the attention of governments and industry, promising cheaper and more abundant access to valuable metals than terrestrial mining.
The United Nations didn't waste a moment in stepping in to control this promising new frontier. They began deliberations on the Law of the Sea, with the grand vision of establishing a legal framework for mining the seabed. The Convention on the Law of the Sea, made official in 1982, declared the seabed the "common heritage of mankind." This principle was intended to prevent a repeat of the resource exploitation of the colonial era, giving developing countries a say in the exploitation of seafloor resources.
Fast forward to today, and only 169 states and the European Union have ratified the treaty - the United States being a notable holdout. The Senate's refusal to ratify UNCLOS is the only thing standing between us and commercial exploitation of these underwater reserves.
The seas have been ripe for exploration since the International Seabed Authority (ISA) began issuing exploration contracts to national scientific agencies in 2000. Critics argue that the body has become increasingly palatable to industrial concerns, with private companies even awarded exploration contracts in 2010. In 2021, a Canadian mining venture, The Metals Company, marked a new chapter in the race for the ocean gold, with ambitious plans to mine the seabed by the end of this year.
The drive to mine the seafloor intensified as it was posited as a solution to the urgent climate crisis. Climate hawks argue that the minerals in polymetallic nodules are essential for a global energy transition away from fossil fuels, and the ocean is an easier place to extract these essential minerals. But, will allowing companies to mine the sea really decrease terrestrial mining, or would it propel land-based extraction into overdrive?
Despite the allure of ocean riches, scientists and conservationists are raising the alarm about the potential environmental impacts. The deep-sea ecosystem is still shrouded in mystery, and any intervention could have lasting, irreversible consequences. The bed of fine sediment in which nodules rest faces the risk of being churned up, suffocating deep-sea organisms or generating clouds of metallic dust. The extraction process also risks creating a sediment plume close to the water's surface, blocking sunlight for midwater organisms and polluting ecosystems.
Recent discoveries have brought new concerns to light. For instance, a mysterious genus of sea sponge has been discovered living on the nodules, while an octopus species lays its eggs on them. Most strikingly, a paper published in July suggests that the metals in the nodules create a small electric current, producing oxygen - challenging the widely held assumption that photosynthesis is the only natural means of creating oxygen on Earth.
Critics of seabed mining argue that exploiting the ocean floor without a moratorium or precautionary pause is a reckless and irresponsible move, destroying unknown and fragile ecosystems without fully understanding the consequences. Thirty-two of the ISA's member states support a moratorium or a pause, while others, like France, are pushing for an outright ban.
Leticia Carvalho, the newly elected secretary-general of the ISA, does not support a moratorium. However, her expertise in ocean science, combined with her background as a woman from the Global South, has been welcomed by environmentalists. As the first secretary-general who may oversee actual mining operations, Carvalho's term could mark the beginning of a new era for the deep sea.
So, buckle up, folks! Venture into the depths of this unexplored world, where the potential rewards are as vast as the ocean, but the stakes are equally high. Will we strike it rich while treading lightly on the hidden wonders of the deep, or will we push our Earth to its limits in the name of progress? Only time will tell.
This story was originally published by Grist. Sign up for Grist's weekly newsletter here. Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at Grist.org.**
- In the pursuit of industrial growth and renewable energy technology, the oldest vision for mining the ocean's floor dates back to the 1960s, when John Mero envisioned the seabed as a mine of untapped wealth.
- The future of seabed mining is a topic of deliberations at the international level, with the United Nations and the International Seabed Authority (ISA) aiming to regulate this promising new frontier.
- The Metals Company, a Canadian mining venture, is incentivizing the race for ocean resources, aiming to start seabed mining by the end of this year, which raises concerns about the potential environmental impacts on the earth's oceans.
- The drive to exploit the ocean's resources escalates as a means to support a global energy transition away from fossil fuels, but critics argue that it may propel terrestrial mining into overdrive and harm delicate marine ecosystems without a full understanding of the consequences.
