UK Seabed Resources Joins Deep-Ocean Mineral-Mining Rush

Technology, including robotics, is allowing more mining firms to explore the ocean floor for oil and minerals, as “surveys have revealed huge numbers of so-called nodules – small lumps of rock rich in valuable metals – lying on the ocean floor south of Hawaii and west of Mexico,” reports David Shukman for BBC News. Another method involves removing material near hydrothermal vents. Environmentalists and fishermen fear that giant “vacuuming” operations – generally out of sight from the public eye – could destroy the ocean habitat and reduce fishing stocks. “Under the UN's Convention on the Law of the Sea, mining rights on the ocean floor are controlled by a little-known body, the International Seabed Authority, which since 2001 has issued 13 licences - with another six in prospect,” Shukman notes. China’s control over rare earth materials have spurred exploration of new sources; rising prices for minerals and technological advances have made the deep-sea mining more feasible, but researchers question if the operations could raise great plumes of dirt, clouding water and killing off sealife. – YaleGlobal