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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In October of last year, an enormous new creature appeared on the seabed of the Pacific Ocean, about 1,400 miles southwest of San Diego. Subscribe to WIRED Photograph: Andria Lo The ship, called the Hidden Gem, was a former oil-drilling vessel nearly 800 feet long, retrofitted for sea mining by the Metals Company, an international firm officially headquartered in Canada. …
The Union Cabinet has approved the long pending Deep Ocean Mission, which among other things involves developing a submersible vehicle that will allow a crew to plunge 6,000 metres into the ocean and hunt the floor for precious metals. Understanding climate variables The second component involves developing Ocean Climate Change Advisory Services, which entails developing a suite of observations and …
Seafloor nodules contain battery metals needed to fuel the transition to clean energy, but trawling for them can disrupt ecosystems that we don’t know about. Mining on the seafloor should not begin before a full assessment of likely environmental impacts can be made, a report commissioned by the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy said on Wednesday. Environmentalists including …
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