Scientists Urge Strict Rules on Deep-Sea Mining at UN Oceans Conference

Deep-Sea Ecosystems and Biodiversity

• 🌍 Deep seas constitute 66% of the world's oceans but remain largely unknown and underexplored, with only 0.0001% of the seafloor globally having been observed.
• 💡 These vast ecosystems are home to an amazing biodiversity, including unique species like glowing sharks and blind white crabs, and ancient organisms such as thousand-year-old corals.
• ⚠️ The deep-sea environment is incredibly vulnerable, and impacts from activities like mining can cause irreversible damage that may take millions of years to recover, if ever.

Concerns Over Deep-Sea Mining

• 🔬 Despite the lack of complete understanding, deep-sea mining is being proposed, with some nations advocating to exploit deep-sea resources.
• 🚫 Scientists, like Dr. Diva Amon, argue that we already know enough to recognize the significant risks, and the proposed technologies and scale could lead to widespread, irreparable harm.
• ❓ While further scientific investigation is needed to determine if deep-sea mining can ever be done without environmental harm, many are doubtful about its feasibility.

Human Impact and Environmental Value

• ⚓ Even in remote deep-sea locations, evidence of human activity is found, including trash and marks from fishing trawls, indicating no part of the planet is untouched.
• 🌊 The deep ocean plays a critical role in regulating climate change by sequestering carbon and absorbing heat; damaging it through mining could jeopardize its ability to provide these vital services.
• ⚡ Proponents claim deep-sea mining is essential for accessing metals needed for the green transition, but this is likened to smoking to lower stress – a harmful approach to solving a crisis.

Global Response and Future Outlook

• 📣 A growing number of countries, currently 37, are calling for a moratorium or pause on deep-sea mining.
• 📈 This number has increased significantly in just three years since the initial call at the UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, indicating a strong global movement towards protecting the deep sea.
• ⏳ The push for more time to understand and value deep-sea environments is seen as being on the right track for conservation efforts.