Deep sea mining is a subfield of experimental seabed mining that involves the process of removing mineral deposits and metals from the ocean’s seabed found at depths of over 200 meters.
Deep sea mining is like mining on land in the sense that minerals or metals of interest are identified and extracted where it’s economically beneficial. Traditionally however, technological limitations and the complexities of extracting minerals and metals at great oceanic depths has meant that the viability of deep sea mining projects has been very limited.
Over thousands of years, deposits of valuable minerals and metals such as manganese, nickel and cobalt have built up on the ocean’s floor. Meanwhile, depleting availability of certain metals and minerals on land have created a growing interest in the possibilities of deep sea mining(Everything You Need to Know about Deep-Sea Mining, n.d.).
The deep sea holds vast mineral wealth, but what are the environmental and technological hurdles we must overcome for responsible deep sea mining? Share your perspectives on this emerging frontier!
