In the depths of the ocean Peacefulthere are precious metals coveted by the industry,Essential for the energy transition. Scientists and environmentalists warn of the risks of exploration in a fragile ecosystem. A recent discovery, the so -called “dark oxygen,” rekindled the debate, while the UN tries to finalize an underwater mining code to regulate this controversial activity.
“Dark oxygen”: a contested discovery
Is there a “dark oxygen” produced by metal stones in the depths of the ocean? ANDm the Scottish Association of Marine Sciences (SAMS) announced, in a study published in the led by the ecologist ,“A deepwater discovery that calls into question the origins of life.”
The discovery Eutteries environmental organizations, which see in it an argument against mining under the sea. However, the scientific community is far from reaching consensus.
The team argues that, in the darkness of the Pacific Ocean, 4,000 meters deep, rich metals generate Sufficient electricity to cause water electrolysis, releasing hydrogen and oxygen.
If confirmed, the discovery would question the traditional idea From the origin of life, made possible thanks to the production of oxygen for photosynthesis by cyanobacteria, 2.7 billion years ago.
But also raises questions about the impact of submarine mining in an unknown ecosystem and complicates the debate on the Future Code Mineiro that a Want to finish this year And that is being discussed at a meeting at the authority headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica.
Fragile ecosystem under mining pressure
To the , This “amazing discovery” underlines “The need to end the mining of deep marine funds”by the “damage” that this activity can cause to this “delicate ecosystem”.
The “dark oxygen” was detected in the Clarion-Clipperton Geological Fracture Zonebetween Mexico and Hawaii, the region most coveted by the mining industry due to its Large reserves of polymetal nodules, rich in manganese, nickel and cobalt.
The polymetal nodules, collected at the bottom of the ocean, are in simulated seawater in the chemist Franz Geiger’s laboratory at Northwestern University.
Franz Geiger
Criticism, doubts and lack of scientific consensus
Several scientists share the same reserves.“It did not present clear evidence of your observations and hypothesis. Many questions remain unanswered after publication”I told AFP Matthias Haeckel, biogeochemical of the .
“Sampling at the bottom of the sea is always a challenge”underlines the scientist, for whom oxygen production measured by the Sweetman team can be due to “Air bubbles attached to the measuring instrument.”
Submarine Mining Code Project
In negotiations for over 10 years, the future “underwater mining code”, Designed to frame underwater mining exploration at sea, it is again under discussion. Under the pressure of the industry, it is expected that this week’s meeting at the headquarters of In Kigston, Jamaica, go out of completion and adoption later this year.
Isa, created in 1994 under the UN aegis, has been negotiating since 2014 these future regulations for the industrial exploitation of ocean fund resources under their jurisdiction (only international waters). A gigantic task that accelerated under industry pressure. The Canadian company The Metals Company plans to submit the first exploration contract request in June through its subsidiary
Principles
According to the double term granted by (Unches), the Minas Gerais code should organize the exploitation of coveted minerals (cobalt, manganese, nickel, etc.) and protect the environment in a context of large scientific gaps in inaccessible ecosystems.
Unconscious objectives for ocean advocates, who appeal to a moratorium on exploitation.
In the absence of consensus, negotiations continue.
The council of the executive body consisting of 36 of the 169 Member States will analyze the issue these two weeks, based on the text that already exists of 250 pages – “Pages full of parenthesis, scratched phrases and comments on divergences, which are added dozens of changes presented by states, companies and NGOs”, according to AFP.
“We count on the text more than 2,000 elements still under discussion”said Emma Wilson of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition NGO group, very skeptical about the ability to reach the completion in 2025, as planned.
Process
As with any exploration contract, an entity that wants to obtain an exploration contract must be sponsored by a state.
Nori, which expects to explore polymetallic nodules (rich in strategic metals) in an area of the Pacific from 2026, is sponsored by Nauru, a small island state in Oceania.
According to the general lines of the text, the analysis of the operational plan would first pass to the hands of ISA’s legal and technical committee, accused by the NGO of being uncommon and quite pro-industry.
Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of the plan (technical and financial capabilities, feasibility, environmental precautions, etc.), the commission would recommend to the board responsible for making the final decision.
But some fear that the rules already existing in the UNCLOS Make it difficult to reverse a favorable recommendation of the commission, requiring a majority of two thirds of the board. The current text foresees an initial duration of 30 years for operational contracts, followed by renewable extensions of five years.
Environmental protection
The candidate company will have to make an assessment of the possible environmental impacts of its activity. The general idea is to limit these impacts to better protect the environment, but the details are still far from defined.
Negotiators are divided into the choice and even the definition of basic terms, such as “adverse effects” or “severe impact”.
NGOs and more and more states underline that the very principle of assessing potential impacts is impossible due to the lack of scientific information.
In addition to the ecosystems, the Pacific’s island states, particularly linked to the sacred nature of the oceans, insist on references to the protection of “underwater cultural heritage”.
The challenges of inspection and compliance with the rules
Surveillance of underwater mining is one of the points under discussion. The text on the table provides for an inspection system and assessment of compliance with the exploiting company.
But the activities “There are thousands of kilometers from the coast, the great depth and in a hostile environment”underlines Emma Wilson of the NGO Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, which doubts the ability to monitor environmental impacts.
Who profits from ocean mining?
According to the United Nations Convention on Sea Law, the Ocean Fund resources are a common heritage of humanity. Thus, Minas Gerais companies must pay Royalties to Isa, but the percentage and deadlines are disputed.
The current proposal mentions values between 3%and 12%, while African countries defend a minimum of 40%. The lack of consensus continues to postpone the definitive approval of the Minas Gerais code.
