Check out the top stories from the deep, taken from coverage between 5 – 12 December 2022
Doomed Deep Sea Miner The Metals Company Under Huge Pressure
Source: The Scoop
Author: Greenpeace New Zealand
“In what Greenpeace Aotearoa is calling another heavy blow to deep sea mining – the Canadian miner The Metals Company has received a delisting notice from the Nasdaq stock exchange – after trading below USD$1 at closing bid price for 30 days in a row.”
This ‘delisting’ comes after a series of calls for moratoriums and bans on deep-sea mining. It also follows a recent protest staged by Greenpeace which confronted The Metals Company’s mining vessel the ‘Hidden Gem’.
Industry shows zero improvement on conflict minerals sourcing
Source: Gaming Industry Biz
Author: Brendan Sinclair
“A number of companies, Razer for example, have called for a moratorium on deep sea mining, but Deberdt says the parties embracing such measures seem to split between those who think we don’t know enough about deep sea mining to do it just yet, and those who think we should never attempt it.”
Sinclair reviews the mining practices associated with the gaming industry, and breaks down the types of mining used by major gaming and tech companies such as Google, Amazon and Nintendo. The reluctance by many companies to move into deep-sea mining is reflected – as is the necessity to reduce rates of mineral extraction more broadly across the mining industry.
Palau leader warns of ‘catastrophic’ consequences of deep-sea mining
Source: Macau News Agency
Author: AFP
“Deep-sea mining could have a “catastrophic” impact in the Pacific, the president of Palau told AFP, as companies forge ahead with plans to hoover up millions of tonnes of seabed in the hunt for valuable metals.”
Palau’s President, Surangel Whipps Jr, has continued his call for a Moratorium on deep-sea mining. Palau’s stance remains firm, that the crucial role of marine biodiversity, and the complexity of these fragile systems, makes deep-sea mining far too risky given what little understanding is possessed.
The subtle sounds of hydrothermal vents
Source: Samachar Central
Author: Sweta Varshney
“Deep-sea hydrothermal vents host unique life that survives without sunlight, and they play a significant role in the cycle of heat, water, and chemicals within the ocean.”
An innovation in monitoring deep sea thermal vents has emerged in the form of the ‘hydrophone’. Hydrothermal vents are crucial components of the deep sea landscape, providing very specific conditions for rare biodiversity. Because of the “hot and caustic” nature of sea vents however, they are very difficult to monitor. Brendan Smith of Dalhousie University promoted the use of the hydrophone for monitoring sea vents at the 183rd meeting of the Acoustical Society of America. This may offer a path to understanding and quantifying the effects of damaging practices like deep-sea mining.