Oxygen, the molecule that supports intelligent life as we know it, is largely made by plants. They found that this “dark” oxygen production at the seafloor seems to only happen in the presence of mineral concentrates called polymetallic nodules and deposits of metals called metalliferous sediments. The authors also suggested that the amount of oxygen created may fluctuate depending on …
New research suggests that polymetallic nodules on the deep-sea floor may produce oxygen, a conclusion that could have enormous consequences for mining companies. That’s because a team of international scientists found that the prized nodules produce oxygen — and may be responsible for enriching this dark, remote ecosystem with one of life’s most important elements. The company noted it was …
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The unseen man-made 'tracks' on the deep ocean floor GEOMAR/MiningImpact Project This track was 37 years-old when it was photographed in 2015 Far from land, deep sea mining trials have left barren marks that are still there decades later, and as Richard Fisher writes, they symbolise two different timescales colliding. "They’re like the rocky areas in a garden – you’re …
