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  • WORLD VIEW

I’ve witnessed the wonders of the deep sea. Mining could destroy them

Deep-sea mining could wreck more than just the ocean floor in ways we have no idea how to repair.
  1. Beth N. Orcutt

    1. Beth N. Orcutt is vice-president for research at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine.

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Last month, I led a team in the thrilling discovery of a deep-sea octopus nursery on underwater mountains, only the fourth such location known in the world. It was incredible to witness octopuses being born, their tiny pink tentacles springing to life. Worryingly, any day now, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) could green-light mining for metals and rare-earth elements in habitats such as these.

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Nature 619, 673 (2023)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02369-z

Competing Interests

I am vice-president for research at the independent, non-profit organization Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, where I also serve as associate director of the Crustal Ocean Biosphere Research Accelerator (COBRA). I am also an expert contributor to the Deep-Ocean Stewardship Initiative (DOSI) global network, which acts as an official observer at meetings of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to inform the ISA about likely environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. My perspective in this article is my own and does not necessarily represent the positions of my affiliated institutions.

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