Underwater mining: new threat

Despite the differences, if there is consensus on anything, it is to confirm that there is still a lot of information missing to make the right decisions. “Underwater mining can destroy entire ecosystems before we even realize their existence,” says a report by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, which is closely linked to the German Green party. Biologists and geologists are working day and night to fill these gaps.

The International Seabed Authority, which has the authority to legislate in international waters, has been preparing for years. a code that regulates this application. After many delays and as announced by general secretary Michael Lodge, they hope to have it ready in 2025. About 30 exploration licenses have been issued so far (mostly for China), but none for exploitation.

“It is very likely that exploitation will begin in the jurisdictional waters of the countries. Norway is currently in public consultation on this issue. The same thing happens in the Cook Islands or Nauru. Everything shows this deep mining can begin in a relatively short time over time, probably in the same decade. This is the analysis by Francisco Javier González Sanz, expert in Geology Applied to Marine Resources and Extreme Environments at the Spanish Institute of Geology and Mining (IGME-CSIC).

Technological developments and threats

González notes that there have been “major technological advances in the extraction of minerals” in the abyssal plains (which lie about 7,000 meters below the surface). Trials have already been carried out in some small areasboth to test technical equipment and to evaluate its impact on the environment.

Although it is not known in detail to what extent it will affect the species living in these areas, there is no doubt that there is evidence that this activity will change the way of life of the oldest communities. It is not for nothing that the seabed is among the last untouched frontiers on the planet. Even though they are gradually decreasing. NGO Oceana, if the mining machines arrive, the consequences would be disastrousand lists some possible scenarios: the destruction of ecosystems, the accumulation of sediments that could suffocate organisms within a radius of kilometers, Noise generation greater than 120 decibels Increased toxicity of water and conflict with the fishing industry due to the suspension of microparticles that create stress and prevent animals from communicating. But one thing is clear: its effects will be irreversible.

Funds rich in precious metals for industry

Although there is still a long way to go, what is known is the list of substances sleeping in the depths. «They are divided into three large groups: manganese nodules, cobalt-rich crusts and polymetallic hydrothermal sulphides. These metals include rare earths, nickel, tellurium, platinum… These are essential elements in the production of electric cars, batteries, solar panels or wind turbines for wind turbines,” he emphasizes, highlighting that technological industries “have a large proportion of these metals. «And these deposits on the sea floor have the property of being polymetallic. In other words, it is a very interesting reserve with abnormally high percentages of its contents. For example, according to data announced by the International Energy Agency, lithium demand tripled between 2017 and 2022.

This is exactly what mining companies hold onto. Special, The most coveted area is the Clarion-Clipperton area between Hawaii and Mexico.It is a huge area of ​​nearly five million square kilometers (twice the size of India). More than 5,500 different species are estimated to live here, and about 90% of them are unknown to scientists. In fact, only six are found elsewhere in the world.

But the impact on species is not the only threat that worries the scientific community. According to the report of the NGO Fauna & Flora International, «One of the most worrying impacts concerns the consequences of climate change due to the reduced capacity of the oceans to recycle carbon.». Along the same lines, Greenpeace reminds us that the seabed is a huge reservoir of blue carbon stored in the form of biomass and sediments. And it has a vital function to stop global warming: blocking CO2 emissions. “The machines that will be lowered to the bottom will release that carbon,” they complain.

Spain’s role

Spain is one of 20 countries positioned against this activity He stated that they openly demanded that it be banned. This position does not contradict the fact that the country will play a key role if it is finally approved. “We have a good shipyard pit where ships are made for marine use in every sense, both for protection and for potential use,” says González Sanz, whose aim was once an indispensable part of the MIDeSEA project. Map Europe’s seas to discover their true potential. One of his main conclusions is that there are two areas of particular interest: Macaronesia (Canary IslandsAzores, Cape Verde, Madeira and the Wild Islands) and the Arctic environment and the borders of Norway.

“We’re not saying we should open a mine where we see something. We are simply alerting the authorities to where the real potential lies and where we need to invest more. “We also reveal in which areas there is a lack of data,” he explains. To fill these knowledge gaps, IGME-CSIC is currently conducting two further studies that turn the Spanish archipelago into “a living experiment and laboratory of geological knowledge”. “We are not just trying to understand minerals, but also geology and “We are also trying to understand how biology interacts on the seafloor,” he concludes.

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REPORT. Erik Simon Lledó, marine biologist

“The damage at the local level is irreversible.”

“We know more about the moon than we do about the bottom of the sea,” says this expert from the UK’s National Oceanography Centre.

The scientist explains that he is neither for nor against underwater mining, but instead works to ensure that governments have as much information as possible on whether to approve this controversial activity.

-Would this mining be more sustainable than terrestrial mining?

Landmines, if they are managed in a minimally sustainable way (pollutants are not dumped, toxic levels are maintained and then cleaned up), they will close and after 50 years there will already be a forest above them. In case of underwater mining, the areas where the machines pass will not be saved. Nodule fields take two million years to form and are essential for the life of many species because they are the only hard substrate at the bottom of the entire abyssal Pacific region.

-Why is the seabed so valuable?

These are areas that have been inaccessible for thousands of years. They are the final frontier, we know more about the Moon than the bottom of the sea. For example, antibiotics are made from the flora, tissues and sponges found there. Abyssal plains cover 60 percent of the entire planet, 20 times more than the Amazon rainforest. If it weren’t for mining and the initiatives of some research centers, we would continue to think that only mud exists.

-How do you explore such remote areas?

With robots. Some of us program them to take photos or take water samples. Others work with a cable that allows us to get live images at all times. Besides cameras, it also has arms to catch animals. The first and most important thing is to know what lives there.

-What is the purpose of the research?

It depends on the project. For example, we have impact studies on mining issues. The Germans and Americans did tests in the 80s and 70s, and now we see how those areas are doing. The traces left by the machines are still there. At the local level, the damage is irreversible. Until species become extinct? I see this as relative. But ecosystem functions will never be the same.

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Contact address of the environmental department:krisclimatica@prensaiberica.es