Scientists discovered ‘dark oxygen’ in the ocean’s abyss, where companies want to mine battery metals.
The issue of whether to mine the seafloor for battery components and how to safeguard delicate marine life in the process is becoming more pressing in light of the finding of “dark oxygen” in
the ocean’s depths.
Deep-sea mining regulations have dominated discussions during the International Seabed Authority’s (ISA) annual meetings, which concluded on Friday in Kingston, Jamaica. A mining
business has already declared that it will file the first-ever application to extract minerals from the deep sea following the conclusion of the meetings.
The company’s plans have triggered a race to get rules in place before an
y mining starts. But there’s so little that humans know about the deep sea that a growing chorus of scientists, advocates, and policymakers are sounding the
alarm that there could be grave, unforeseen consequences. Evidence of
mysterious “dark oxygen” from the abyssal seafloor was published in a
prestigious journal in July. It raises new questions about the risks mining
might pose to life at the bottom of the ocean that scientists are still trying to
understand and is amplifying calls for a moratorium on mining.
We stand at a fork in the road today. The future productivity and health of our
oceans will be shaped by the decisions made at this Assembly, as stated by
Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. in his opening remarks at the ISA Assembly on July 29. “We have so much to learn about the deep seabed and
the vital role it plays for our planet, whether it is the undiscovered biodiversity that might unlock the cures for cancer or the recent discovery just last week of
‘dark oxygen’ being produced in the deep ocean by the nodules on the seafloor.”
What is dark oxygen?
One byproduct of photosynthesis is oxygen. In order to produce sugars and
oxygen, plants and plankton need carbon dioxide, water, and sunshine. The
finding of black oxygen at the bottom of the abyss, which ranges in depth from
9,842 to 21,325 feet (3,000 to 6,500 meters), is astonishing because it raises the question, “What’s down there that can produce oxygen without sunlight?”
According to a study that was just published in the journal Nature Geoscience,
oxygen is produced on Earth through a totally distinct and hitherto
undiscovered method that comes from one of the most unlikely sources.
The authors themselves were first dubious about their own data because the
results were so unexpected. They had set out to record the amount of oxygen that deep-sea species consume at the Pacific Ocean’s bottom, in a region that
businesses are interested in mining between Hawaii and Mexico. In order to
get readings in areas cut off from outside currents that would normally carry
oxygen from the sea’s surface, they had sent landers down about 13,000 feet
(4,000 meters). The process is similar to submerging a can upside down in a
pool and recording the contents. They recorded the opposite of what they had anticipated—a gradual decrease in oxygen levels in the enclosed space.
Convinced that there must be a problem with their sensors,
The exact process of producing oxygen is still unknown. However, they have a theory. The seafloor is covered in polymetallic nodules that are abundant in
nickel, copper, cobalt, iron, and manganese. Mining corporations are keen to capitalise on these nodules, referring to them as “batteries in a rock.” They
may just be able to generate an electrical charge strong enough to split saltwater and release oxygen via electrolysis.
To test the theory, a great deal more research is needed. If these rock batteries are truly able to split water, you would expect to see higher levels of hydrogen,
but the authors of the paper were only looking for oxygen readings. To explore
if they could duplicate the process in a lab, they brought some nodules up to the surface. They were able to rule out other options, such as bacteria
generating dark oxygen, in this way. Once more, the outcomes were unexpected.
Physical chemistry professor Franz Geiger, one of the paper’s authors, says, “I had approached the problem from the perspective that, you know, there’s no
way that these things have this high voltage… and the readings were off the chart.”
The researchers measured voltages as high as 950 millivolts, which is just slightly less than the 1.3 to 1.5 volts required to divide saltwater or, at the very
least, initiate an oxygen-producing half-reaction known as an oxygen evolution reaction. They speculate that the voltage would rise to a point where
those reactions could occur in the ocean, where there are extensive networks of nodules.The Metals Company (TMC), the same business that intends to
apply for a licence to begin deep-sea mining, provided partial funding for the
research. The business claims to be investing over $200 million in
environmental evaluations as part of “one of the most comprehensive deep-sea research programs in history.” However, they are now contesting the results of the study that was published in Nature Geoscience last month,
waging a battle with scientists whose conclusions may not line up with the
company’s assertion that mining the ocean’s depths would be a less hazardous
option than mining on land.
Upon contacting The Verge, the firm directed us to a statement it had sent, expressing its amazement at the publication of the dubious paper. Although
the firm claims to be “preparing a comprehensive rebuttal,” it is already casting doubt on the researchers’ “flawed” methodology, partly due to the fact
that the data was “collected under conditions not representative” of the
seafloor area that the company hopes to mine. It further claims that the
manuscript was turned down by other journals and conflicts with other
Research.
The study group stands behind its findings. For a very long time, we were this paper’s harshest critics. I believed my sensors were broken, so I threw away
the data indicating oxygen production for eight years. In his own statement in
response to The Metals Company, main author Andrew Sweetman, a professor at the Scottish Association for Marine Science, states, “Once we realised
something may be going on, we tried to disprove it, but in the end we simply couldn’t.”
Why there still aren’t rules for deep-sea mining
Observers who attended the ISA talks with advocacy organisations and intergovernmental delegations tell The Verge that dark oxygen has already
caused a stir in Kingston. The research has apparently been discussed in
negotiation rooms and during side events, as well as by delegations from a
number of nations during their opening remarks. According to Pradeep Singh, a fellow at the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam’s Research Institute for
Sustainability and a specialist on ocean governance, “it has come up quite a bit
along the corridors as well.”
It should come as no surprise that calls to halt mining are growing. David
Santillo, a marine biologist and senior scientist at the University of
Exeter-based Greenpeace discovery Laboratories, states that “the significance [of this research] can’t be overestimated.” Among the environmental
organisations opposed to deep-sea mining is Greenpeace. It is obvious that it
will have an impact on the natural systems and processes that the entire globe,
not just deep marine ecosystems, depends on. According to Santillo, “We are
aware of the value and significance of oxygen as an element on Earth.”
To date, thirty-two nations have indicated their support for a complete ban, moratorium, or “precautionary pause” on deep-sea mining, either in order to
prevent needless harm or to get a better understanding of the potential disturbances caused by mining. During the ISA convention this year, five new nations joined the cause.
Two years after the island nation of Nauru made headlines by saying that it would support The Metals Company’s ambitions for deep-sea mining, the ISA
missed a crucial deadline last year to draft regulations. TMC is now entitled to seek for a mining licence because of this.
It remains to be seen if TMC will receive approval from the ISA if it applies this year. The ISA established an ambitious timeframe for enacting regulations
by 2025, despite missing its original goal. During last year’s negotiations, the ISA Council also released language stating that commercial mining should not
proceed until such regulations are established, though that is not necessarily a legally enforceable decision. Therefore, efforts to place a greater
On Friday, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) elected a new secretary-general, an oceanographer who would be the first scientist to hold the position, to replace the previous one who was accused of becoming too
close to mining firms. For the time being, analysts tell The Verge that it appears like delegates are still at odds on what the rules ought to be in order for the ISA to meet its 2025 target. “They disagree greatly on who will cover
the costs of any damage that may occur. To what extent would the damage result in liability? “Would they just have to clean it up, if that was even
possible?” asks Matthew Gianni, a co-founder of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, which is currently advocating for a moratorium.
The study’s author, Geiger, isn’t sure that deep-sea mining can be avoided permanently, particularly given the rising need for battery materials brought
on by renewable energy sources and electric cars. “There is no doubt in my mind that the materials are required. Thus, as a society, we might eventually
be compelled to make this decision. We hope this work helps determine
where, when, and how often to carry out this task with the least amount of
negative influence on the environment below,” he states.
It’s not as though you could wait a billion years and still
Under the Desk News is a TikTok channel with 3.1 million subscribers, helmed by Vitus “V” Spehar. Becca Farsace of The Verge spent the day with V in our newest series, Full Frame: Creators, to find out more about the difficulties of being a political internet presence in 2024.