News Highlights:
Commercial deep-sea mining: Recently, a study published in the journal “Frontiers in Marine Science” suggested that commercial-scale Deep seabed mining operations can potentially harm the oceans and endangered species, such as cetaceans, including blue whales and several dolphin species.
Key Takeaway:
Deep-sea mining is the process of retrieving mineral deposits from the deep seabed — the ocean below 200 metres — and covers two-thirds of the total seafloor.
Deep Sea Mining:
- About:
- Deep-sea mining is the process of retrieving mineral deposits from the deep seabed – the ocean below 200m.
- The international seabed is defined as the region that lies outside of national jurisdiction and accounts for about 50% of the total area of the world’s oceans, according to the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a body established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) for monitoring all activities related to mineral resources in the deep sea.
- The International Seabed Authority (ISA), which regulates activities in the seabed beyond national jurisdiction, had issued 31 contracts to explore deep-sea mineral deposits. More than 1.5 million square kilometres of the international seabed have been set aside for mineral exploration.
- Significance:
- There is growing interest in the mineral deposits of the seabed. This is due to depleting terrestrial deposits of metals such as copper, nickel, aluminium, manganese, zinc, lithium, and cobalt.
- Demand for these metals is also increasing to produce technologies like smartphones, wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries.
- Deep-sea mining is a potential source of critical and other minerals that may enable new technologies, such as extended-range electric cars, lighter rechargeable batteries, and more weather-resistant wind turbines.
Concerns related to Deep Sea Mining:
- Disturbance of the seafloor:
- The digging and gauging of the ocean floor by machines can alter or destroy deep-sea habitats.
- This leads to the loss of species, many of which are found nowhere else, and the fragmentation or loss of ecosystem structure and function.
- It is the most direct impact of deep-sea mining, and the damage caused is most likely permanent.
- Sediment plumes:
- Settlement of sediment plumes generated by mining vehicles could harm/kill the species at the bottom of the ocean (benthic species) in the vicinity.
- Sediment discharged from processing vessels can also increase turbidity in the water column. Also, far-from-sight impacts could go largely unquantified.
- Pollution:
- Species such as whales, tuna, and sharks could be affected by noise, vibrations, and light pollution caused by mining equipment and surface vessels, as well as potential leaks and spills of fuel and toxic products.
India’s Deep Ocean Mission:
- About:
- India’s Deep Ocean Mission aim to explore the marine diversity in our country, which is still unexplored. This ambitious project will be managed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
- India’s Deep Ocean Mission will solely focus on studying and exploring the deepwater bodies in our country for undiscovered minerals, stones, living or non-living entities
- Both man force and robotic machines will be used for the mission
- Tasks like deep-sea mining, energy exploration, a survey of the objects found, and off-shore desalination will be taken up rigorously
- The focus will also be given on underwater technologies for convenient research.
- Major objectives:
- Development of technologies for deep-sea mining, underwater vehicles and underwater robotics;
- Development of ocean climate change advisory services;
- Technological innovations for exploration and conservation of deepsea biodiversity;
- Deep ocean survey and exploration;
- Proof of concept studies on energy and freshwater from the ocean; and
- Establishing an advanced marine station for ocean biology
Pic Courtesy: Freepik
Content Source: The Hindu