Overview:
Humanity has only explored 5% of the World’s Oceans, leaving 95% undiscovered, and ultimately unknown to man (NOAA). In particular, the Deep Sea, posing a harsh and unforgiving environment for humans to explore; with little to no light, most of the oxygen disappearing, and high pressures. These conditions have led to barely 5% of the deep seas being explored by humans (“The World’s Oceans”). This means that researchers and marine biologists know little about the phenomenal organisms who have adapted to live under such extreme conditions. In search to understand the existence of these organisms, both known and unknown, humans have taken steps such as deep sampling tools and deep sea mining. The dilemma now is: Should these deep sea mysteries be solved? Is it ethical to solve them?
The Problem:
Deep sea mining is a way of extracting minerals deep seabeds (IUCN). Other than the curiosity towards the organisms, researchers also wish to extract mineral deposits from deep seabeds due to potential usefulness; especially when mineral above sea are beginning to deplete, interests have turned to the deepsea to learn and extract minerals to continue production of items such as smartphones, turbines, solar panels, and batteries. The area that is being deep sea mined is known as Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ); it is a vast seabed in the Pacific, which has turned into a hotspot for deep sea mining in recent years. The CCZ is home to valuable metals like manganese, nickel, cobalt, and copper (Ashford et al.). However the issue with mining is due to the understudied nature of the deep sea, there is difficulty in recognising potential harms and side-effects of deep sea mining inflicted upon the local organisms and environments. Furthermore, our lack of understanding towards the deep sea makes it challenging to lay adequate defences to protect the environment whilst mining.
Some examples of problems deep sea mining may pose on its environment is as follows: the destruction of natural landforms and the animals they host, creation of sediment plumes that disrupt aquatic ecosystems, heating of waters and noise and light pollution which can deeply affect marine animals. It is also important to note that as of current, there is no research that suggests the marine ecosystems can be effectively protected from harmful effects of deep-sea mining and research (Deep Sea Conservation Coalition).
Deep sea mining involves the digging and prodding of the ocean floor through machines, and this leads to a change or alteration in natural land formations (IUCN). Mining that targets polymetallic nodules would involve stripping seabeds 6-20 cm each time; with it, any form of life that lives or depends on the nodules will be facing potential extinction. Another mining method that involves stripping seamounts can have negative setbacks, as stripping these outer crust layers leads to the destruction of critical deep sea life forms, such as the deep-sea sponge which supports many inhabitants, and takes thousands of years to grow (Deep Sea Conservation Coalition).
Deep-sea mining disturbs fine, dust-like sediments on the seabed, creating plumes of suspended particles (IUCN). Concerns regarding these particles spreading out for hundreds of kilometres and settling in neighbouring beds are raised. This prolonged settlement of the sediments may pose environmental concerns, such as disrupting particularly vulnerable species; they could harm animal’s vision and visual communication, meddle with filter-feedings, and may even smother or suffocate animals, impacting the food chains heavily (IUCN).
Mining emits noise and light pollution to the deep seas. These pollutants can heavily impact the reproduction and feeding of deep sea inhabitants, as intense noises and lights may pose risks in the naturally dark and silent environment. Animals that use sound, echolocation or bioluminescence to communicate, find prey and escape predators are especially vulnerable. Furthermore, because many deep-sea species are rare, long-lived and slow to reproduce, scientists hypothesise that some species would face extinction; mainly, due to habitat removal. They also express concerns regarding the recovery of these habitats and ecosystems, and if they will ever bounce back from the harm caused by deep sea mining (Ashford et al.).
Deep Sea mining releases wastewater that can infect deep sea waterways. Other than the wastewater itself containing seawater, sediment and mine tailings that could potentially travel for hundreds of kilometres, harming the ecosystems that have not been exposed to them before, there is the possibility of animals dying through overheating. Mining wastewater is often warm, and in comparison to the cold environment organisms are used to, exposure can cause discomfort, and even death to species (Ashford et al. , Deep Sea Conservation Coalition).
Activity:
To understand how harmful changes in the deep sea environments can be towards the animals that inhabit them, we can recreate the consequences in a small scale.
Age Group: 9+ (Adult supervision when dealing with hot water)
Time needed: 30mins Level: Beginner
Material list:
- Glow Sticks x3
- Ice Water (10mL)
- Hot Water (10mL)
- Room-temperature Water (10mL)
- Stopwatch
- Glass beakers x3
Method:
- Grab your glass beaker, and use the scale on it to measure out 10mL of ice water.
- Repeat Step 1 for both hot water and room temperature water.
- Snap the glowsticks to activate the chemiluminescent reaction.
- Stick the three glowsticks, each into a different beaker, at the same time.
- Start your stopwatch the moment all glow sticks are in the water.
- Observe and record.
The Results:
You should notice how the glow stick in the hot water beaker glows brighter, but lasts for a short period of time. The glow stick in the ice cold water, however, will glow dimly and last much longer. You may use the glow stick in the room temperature water as a reference to compare the different luminosities.
The glow sticks in this experiment symbolise the bioluminescent animals that inhabit the deep sea; and the different temperatures of the water is supposed to represent how the animals react to different water (before mining contaminates and heats up their environment versus after). The dim and long lasting nature of deep sea fishes is a survival tool, which has been adapted to endure the extreme, dark, and cold conditions of the deep sea. The experiment demonstrates how any changes made to their environment can harm this survival tool, making it short lasting, and ultimately making them vulnerable to extinction.
