Experts raise red flags over proposal to mine valuable metals from ocean floor: 'These risks must urgently be assessed'
A Canadian firm's interest in mining a remote part of the Pacific Ocean's deep seafloor has drawn scrutiny from watchdogs who think the activity could harm marine life, including an endangered sperm whale, according to England's University of Exeter.
What's happening?
The Metals Co. intends to explore parts of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Eastern Pacific in search of nodules that hold valuable metals such as copper, cobalt, nickel, and manganese, per Exeter and the International Seabed Authority.
Studies spotlighted by the university have found whales and dolphins in the zone.
"We know remarkably little about these ecosystems, which are hundreds of miles offshore and include very deep waters," Exeter's Kirsten Young said. "It's very hard to predict how seabed mining might affect these species and wider ecosystems, and these risks must urgently be assessed."
Why is the Exeter report important?
Underwater activity can have a direct, harmful impact on marine life. The Natural Resources Defense Council reported that powerful sonar blasts can be particularly devastating to whales, dolphins, and other species.
Young said that noise from mining could travel hundreds of miles, creating a threat to the creatures that rely on sound for communication.
"Chronic ocean noise can mask social and foraging communications and whales could be displaced from critical habitats. The behavior and impact of sediment plumes created by mining is also poorly understood but could affect food webs," the expert continued.
It's part of the consequences human activity has on land and sea. Biodiversity's greatest threat is habitat loss, for example. On land, that includes melting ice sheets and more acres being used for agriculture, according to the United Nations.
In the oceans, scientists are studying how warming waters are changing currents, which influences marine life. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that seas hold 91% of the excess heat that's being trapped by Earth. The extent to which ocean warming is harming marine animals is still being studied, but coral bleaching is a worrisome example linked to it.
What's being done to help?
The studies cited by Exeter shine an important spotlight on deep-sea mining and its ecosystem impacts.
Exploring ocean concerns, especially those caused by human activity, can help you make informed decisions about efforts, companies, and investments to support. Your voice as an advocate can contribute to policy changes that protect ecosystems where vulnerable species live.
It starts with contacting your representative. Big changes can start with local action. Even joining a litter cleanup in your hometown can keep plastic pollution from traveling to the ocean.
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