PARIS, France — Amidst the frigid darkness of the deep Pacific Ocean floor, one can find an abundance of metallic rocks rich in minerals, highly sought after by mining companies, along with vast populations of unusual and scarce creatures that remain virtually unidentified by scientific communities.
Scientists are hurriedly working to classify thousands of recently found species.
The mining sector is urging regulatory bodies to conclude the regulations that might pave the way for extracting resources in portions of the extensive Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) located between Hawaii and Mexico.
Initially considered an underwater wasteland, the CCZ is now recognized for its rich biodiversity.
They vary from minuscule worms dwelling in the murky sediments, to sponge species that float anchored to rocks akin to waterlogged balloons, and a colossal sea cucumber nicknamed the “gummy squirrel.”
Activists argue that this variety of life forms is the genuine wealth of our planet’s biggest and most mysterious ecosystem.
Experts caution that mining activities might push species toward extinction before we can even identify them.
The interest in extracting the ” nodules,” which are about the size of potatoes and hold metals utilized in technologies like smartphone screens and rechargeable batteries, has led scientists to investigate the CCZ area.
“As our efforts to exploit that region intensify, we’ve gained much deeper insights than we otherwise would have without such pursuits,” stated Tammy Horton from Britain’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC).
Researchers have retrieved sediments using box cores lowered from vessels and utilized remotely operated vehicles to capture images and gather specimens from the ocean bottom.
An image of any specific area of the CCZ seabed could reveal merely one lone brittle star, yet scientists rarely encounter the same species again.
“There are ‘large quantities of uncommon species,’ ” stated Horton, who also mentioned that much of this biodiversity can be found within the organisms residing in the mud.
The nodules also serve as a unique habitat, similar to tiny coral gardens.
‘First step’
The initial inventory of information gathered from scientific investigations in the CCZ, released in 2023, revealed that approximately 90 percent of around 5,000 animal species documented were previously unknown to scientists.
The ISA aims to have more than a thousand species documented by 2030 in the areas of interest to mining companies.
The process is painstaking.
Whenever feasible, every creature should be illustrated, analyzed internally, and given a molecular “barcode”—essentially a DNA fingerprint enabling other scientists to recognize it.
Horton and her team of experts spent an entire year describing 27 out of over a hundred unnamed amphipods—a kind of tiny crustacean.
An image provided by the National Oceanography Centre on July 24, 2023, depicts a glass sponge belonging to the Eup lectellidae family. This was captured during an exploration of the NE Pacific deep sea region and discovered within the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ). The photo comes courtesy of AFP via NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHY CENTRE / SMARTX PROJECT (NERC).
“The primary, essential initial step towards comprehending any environment involves identifying the species present, determining their population numbers, and assessing the extent of their geographical spread,” she explained to AFP.
This would establish a foundation for understanding life in the abyssal plain, enabling a clearer comprehension of possible risks.
The conservation organization Fauna & Flora has stated that the risks include harm to the marine food chain as well as the possibility of worsening climate change due to the disturbance of sediments that store heat-trapping carbon.
The ISA is set to complete the international seabed mining code this year, however, significant tasks still need to be addressed.
Cold War connections
The earliest mining trial area encompasses a section of the CCZ seafloor that was cultivated back in 1979.
Daniel Jones, a NOC researcher who sifted through archival records to identify the site, mentioned that the operation was part of a CIA scheme aimed at retrieving a Russian nuclear submarine, with deep-sea mining serving as a pretext for the mission.
According to Jones, the CIA rented a vessel for actual deep-sea mining operations.
He discovered an ancient photo depicting the approximately eight-meter-wide (26-foot-) machine utilized for harvesting nodules.
In 2023, his group went to the testing location, over four decades following the initial disruption.
He mentioned that the machine trails could still be easily seen on the ocean floor.
Jones informed journalists lately that they observed “the initial signs of biological restoration” on the routes previously impacted by mining operations; however, animal populations had yet to return to their usual levels.
The sluggish rate at which changes occur in the CCZ can be seen through the nodules themselves, which have probably taken millions of years to form.
Each might have begun as a small piece of tough material—a shark’s tooth or perhaps a fish’s otolith—that came to rest on the ocean floor.
They gradually expanded next by drawing in minerals that are typically found in water at very minimal levels.
These include metals such as cobalt that are highly sought after during the energy shift.
However, the European Academies of Science Advisory Council (EASAC) has stated that the requirement for the nodules has been exaggerated and has called for a halt to mining activities.
Michael Norton, who serves as the EASAC Environment Director, stated that once initiated, deep-sea mining activities would be challenging to halt.
It’s a one-way road,” he stated. “Once you head down it, you won’t turn back easily.
