The race for more battery materials could cause irreversible damage under the sea. Across the globe, battery demand is growing exponentially, and the hunt for materials to create more efficient and affordable batteries is underway. This race has attracted a mix of big companies, governments, and research organizations to explore the depths of our oceans and extract seabed minerals such as manganese nodules and polymetallic sulfides.
These seabed minerals, which form over thousands or even millions of years, contain elements such as cobalt, lithium and nickel, which are essential to the ever-growing battery industry. The potential financial gains are incredible, though we often ignore the consequences this extraction can have on sea life, ecosystems, and the environment.
The extraction process has recently seen wider use of hydraulic dredges and deep-sea vacuum cleaners, which scrape the seafloor and indiscriminately pluck life, habitat and rocks in their path. To make matters worse, these machines crush and grind the rocks back into the sediment and sediment clouds may travel much further than expected, thus deepening the destruction.
Recent research has further highlighted the huge effect this has on sea life. Scientists have documented an unprecedented scale of destruction, with bottom-dwelling organisms including marine worms, starfish, and sponges being directly affected by the extraction and equipment used. This in turn can lead to a complete coral and rocky habitat destruction, because these creatures are vital to providing a stable foundation for such habitats.
Ultimately, the financial gains and access to rare-earth minerals from the seabed, are tilting the scales towards this extraction process. The issue, however, is that many of us are unaware of what lies beneath the sea and how our actions can permanently alter this underwater world and the species housed within it.
At present, legislation such as the UN’s Law of the Sea and the International Seabed Authority can provide some protection but these regulations are complex and often inadequate. What is needed is a more strict set of regulations that protect the seafloor and it’s associated habitats and species from destruction.
To conclude, even with the potentially massive financial gains of extracting minerals from the seabed, extraction puts not only the sea creatures but our planet in danger. We must act now to protect our deep sea and all its inhabitants, or face the destruction caused by mining activity and its irreversible consequences.