Deep-sea mining race in the Pacific threatens unexplored ecosystem with 90% unknown species
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By Space Daily Editorial Team · Editorial process
Kettled twice. Extra chewy, extra trustworthy.
Summary
The Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a vast abyssal plain between Mexico and Hawaii, contains trillions of polymetallic nodules rich in cobalt, manganese, nickel, and other rare metals. These apple-sized rocks, formed over millions of years, hold more cobalt and manganese than all known land deposits combined. Mining companies are racing to extract them for use in electric vehicle batteries, smartphones, and renewable energy technologies. However, this deep-sea ecosystem is one of the least-explored on Earth, with over 90% of its species still undescribed. Scientists warn that mining could cause irreversible damage to this pristine environment, including habitat destruction, sediment plumes, noise pollution, and potential species extinction before they are even discovered. The International Seabed Authority is currently developing mining regulations, balancing economic interests against environmental preservation.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledThe closest light from the surface has not reached them in at least four billion years.
Over 90 per cent of the local species are still undescribed.
The seafloor across this region is, in places, densely covered in polymetallic nodules: dark, rounded, mineral-rich rocks roughly the size of an apple or a small potato.
They sit on the sediment surface like scattered eggs across a vast muddy plain.
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