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The Potential Pros and

Cons of Seabed Mining
Concentrations of iron manganese nuggets and other metals in
the deep seabed have stirred up interest in mining. But at what
cost?

A schematic of manganese nodules mining on the deep sea floor.

via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mining_implications_figure.png)

By: James MacDonald (https://daily.jstor.org/daily-author/james-macdonald/)

August 29, 2019 3 minutes

The International Seabed Authority recently concluded its

annual meeting (https://www.isa.org.jm) in Kingston, Jamaica.
Many people have never heard of this relatively obscure board,
but the results of their deliberations may have profound
implications for the health of the ocean
(https://daily.jstor.org/six-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-
ocean/). The topic of this year’s meeting was to develop
guidelines for seabed mining, an up-and-coming method of
resource extraction that has many potential benefits—and serious
potential for harm.

Oceanographer Rahul Sharma, writing in Current Science,

provides some background for the current debate. Interest in
seabed mining has mostly focused on the iron manganese
nuggets (nodules) that are abundant in many areas of the deep
sea. These odd objects were first discovered during sailing
expeditions in the 1870s and early twentieth century, when the
little metal balls were scooped up in bottom survey nets.
Manganese has several commercial uses, especially in important
metal alloys such as steel.

The metal balls are mixed in with the

sediment, so massive areas of the abyssal
depths would be dredged and strained.
International treaties have imposed greater restrictions on nodule
extraction, because despite the possible value, the potential for
environmental destruction is enormous. The metal balls are mixed
in with the sediment, so massive areas of the abyssal depths have
to be dredged and strained to extract the nodules. While Sharma
acknowledges that all the sediment dredged up to filter out the
metal will resettle across a huge area, possibly smothering marine
life and habitats, by and large he finds little cause for concern and
supports manganese dredging. That said, while Sharma may not
see a problem with the manganese mining, many if not most
environmental experts disagree
(https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/seabed-mining-
foes-press-u-n-to-weigh-climate-impacts/).

No, these are not lumps of coal. They’re iron manganese nuggets.

Jochen Halfar and Rodney Fujita identify a different possibility for

seabed mining in the sulfide fields produced by hydrothermal
vents . Some of these areas seem to hold very high
concentrations of gold, silver, and other valuable metals. These
areas are often under the jurisdiction of individual nations rather
than in international waters, which means regulation is likely to be
inconsistent. Mining the sulfide fields disturbs a smaller
geographic area. But the nearby hydrothermal vents are home to a
diverse and sensitive biological community. Many of these
organisms are still unknown to science, and may be harmed or
even destroyed by nearby mining activity. Not even the surface will
be spared, as surface discharges of deep water will affect
temperature and nutrient load.

As of yet, no large-scale seabed mining activities are planned, but

some test activities may be on the horizon. Given the potential
profits at stake, seabed mining is probably going to happen in one
way or another. It may be possible to extract these resources
without serious environmental harm, but better regulations will be
needed.

Have a correction or comment about this article?

Please contact us. (/contact-us?from_url=/the-potential-pros-and-cons-of-
seabed-mining/)

Resources
JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students.
JSTOR Daily readers can access the original research behind our
articles for free on JSTOR.

First nodule to first mine-site: development of deep-sea

mineral resources from theIndian Ocean
(https://www.jstor.org/stable/24109602?mag=the-potential-
pros-and-cons-of-seabed-mining)
By: Rahul Sharma
Current Science, Vol. 99, No. 6 (25 September 2010), pp. 750-759
Current Science Association

Danger of Deep-Sea Mining

(https://www.jstor.org/stable/20036268?mag=the-potential-
pros-and-cons-of-seabed-mining)
By: Jochen Halfar and Rodney M. Fujita
 y Joc e a a a d od ey uj ta
Science, New Series, Vol. 316, No. 5827 (May 18, 2007), p. 987
American Association for the Advancement of Science

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