Deep Sea Mining: Plans to excavate this critical and mysterious landscape and what it could mean for life on Earth.
Deep Sea Mining: Plans to excavate this critical and mysterious landscape and what it could mean for life on Earth
08 August 2023
Our deep oceans are being actively explored with the intention to mine them for minerals, however we still know very little about what lives in these habitats or what impact mining would have. The mineral deposits at the sea floor are highly valuable, especially in the transition to green technology, however they are also home to countless invertebrates who have likely been living in these unique environments unchanged for millennia.
While our understanding of the ocean and its importance is growing, scientists estimate that we have still yet to classify 91% of ocean species, and that more than 80% of our ocean remains unexplored. The deep sea, which begins 200 metres below the sea surface and can be thousands of metres deep, is the least-understood environment on Earth. What we do know, however, is that it is the largest continuous habitat on Earth, with scientists frequently uncovering unique species and ecologically important habitats at the depths of the ocean.
What is being proposed?
There has been increasing concern around the development of a deep sea mining industry, which would extract minerals from the depths of the ocean for their industrial and commercial uses. Minerals found within deep sea ecosystems such as copper, cobalt, nickel, aluminium, zinc, lithium and manganese are sought after to support an increasing demand on technologies like smartphones, wind turbines, solar panels and batteries.
There are three types of mining that are planned, all of which raise concerns for the species and ecosystems of the targeted areas:
Extraction of polymetallic nodules from the flat expanses of ocean floor. This type of mining would involve the destruction of the seabed, which could lead to the extinction of species. Most at risk are the sediment communities and suspension feeders which rely on these ancient nodules.
Stripping away the outer crusts of seamounts for their cobalt. These undersea mountains support an array of sensitive and complex ecosystems, including deep sea sponge and coral ecosystems, which have likely taken thousands of years to grow.
Removing polymetallic sulphides from hydrothermal vents. These vents are like geysers where mineral-rich waters exit the earth’s crust and cool into mineral deposits on the sea floor. The organisms that live in these extreme environments are some of the most important known to science, as they redefine what we understand about the conditions of life.
Deep sea mining would also cause wider effects on the marine environment alongside these immediate and direct impacts, through noise, light pollution and sediment plumes. For example,
as machines disrupt the seabed, plumes of sediment will spread across potentially tens of thousands of square kilometres, which could impact filter feeders such as sponges and corals which rely on clear water. Species which have evolved in these crystal-clear waters will also be threatened by cloudy and possibly toxic plumes from wastewater and mine tailings, which would be pumped back into the ocean. Some of these species have evolved to use bioluminescence to hunt or find mates, and these will be especially impacted. Many species use noise, echolocation or bioluminescence to communicate, find prey and escape predators, and these pollutants will alter the conditions that they have become reliant on to survive.
Not only this, but deep sea mining threatens the livelihoods of the coastal communities that rely on fishing to make their living, due to the impact it will likely have on fisheries. Biodiversity loss and disruption to these fragile deep sea ecosystems will also compromise future scientific discoveries and developments, as their ecosystems such as cold-water corals, sponge fields, seamounts, hydrothermal vents, are home to creatures found nowhere else on Earth, with incredible adaptations that allow them to live in this unique environment.
Those in favour of deep sea mining point to increasingly high economic, social and environmental costs of land-based mining as the reason we should begin extracting minerals from the ocean. They argue that the minerals and metals that would be extracted are key to a sustainable future, as they are needed for renewable technology such as car batteries, and that deep sea mining alleviates the need for mining in areas linked with labour rights violations. However, opponents argue that this is a short-term fix with huge negative long-term ramifications, and many large manufacturers have said that they would not use deep sea materials in their manufacturing.
With so much still unknown about the biodiversity and ecosystems of the deep sea, we cannot fully assess the impacts that deep sea mining could have on those species and habitats, as well as the three billion people who rely on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. If we do not know these potential impacts, we cannot put in place adequate safeguards or mitigations to protect these aquatic and human communities.
Recent discussions and next steps
The International Seabed Authority’s (ISA) regulates activities in the international seabed which lay outside of national jurisdiction, on the premise that our oceans are the common heritage of all of humanity. Currently, no large-scale mining activity has begun, but contracts have been handed out by the ISA to explore the deep sea for extractable mineral deposits.
In July 2023, representatives from many of the world’s nations gathered in Kingston, Jamaica for ISA’s annual meeting to discuss if or when deep sea mining should go ahead. Countries in support of deep sea mining were pushing for parameters to be agreed upon so that mining can go ahead. However, the outcome of this meeting was that the ISA needs more time to set regulations for deep sea mining. Formal discussions around the potential environmental impacts of the proposed mining will begin in 2024 to help inform the ISA’s decision, which is projected to be made a year later.
What we know so far indicates that without assessments, effective regulation and mitigation strategies, ploughing ahead with deep sea mining would be irresponsible and dangerous. Instead, we should focus on reducing the demand for primary metals through transitioning from the linear ‘take-make-dispose’ industrial model to a resource-efficient, closed-loop circular economy based on the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle, refuse, refurbish, repair. This is the only long-term solution which provides sustained benefits for people and planet, by protecting and conserving our natural resources so that healthy oceans can support the marine environments which support humans and wider planetary health.
Read more
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