Too dark for photosynthesis. Polymetallic nodules act as batteries to electrolyze water into hydrogen and oxygen. Who would have thought?
A 2013 survey of the deep sea floor found that half of the documented megafauna species—those large enough for the naked eye to make out—were present only on the nodules…
The very nodules that perform this oxygen-generating alchemy are also a mining target for their richness in rare earth metals. These elements, which include cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese, are important constituents in batteries, smartphones, wind turbines and solar panels…
Deep-sea mining, which is still in an experimental phase rather than a full-scale industry, has garnered immense backlash. So far, 27 countries and 52 corporations have pledged support for a moratorium on deep sea mining. More than 800 scientists and policy experts have petitioned against the practice. Mining activities in international waters, such as the CCZ, are regulated by the International Seabed Authority, which issues permits for mining exploration… [end quote]
Will mining the sea floor ever become an industry? If it does will it upset sea floor ecology?
Wendy