Source: Mongabay
Author: Francesca Edralin
When scientists first discovered glass sponge reefs in British Columbia’s waters in the late 1980s, they couldn’t have been more surprised. Prior to this, they believed that glass sponge reefs went extinct 40 million years ago.
Continue reading They outlived dinosaurs, but can glass sponge reefs survive man-made warming?
Source: University of Hawaii
The deep-sea, ocean depths below 650 feet (200 meters), constitutes more than 90 percent of the biosphere, harbors the most remote and extreme ecosystems on the planet, and supports biodiversity and ecosystem services of global importance. A new publication on the impacts of deep-seabed mining by 13 prominent deep-sea biologists, led by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa Department of Oceanography Professor Craig Smith, seeks to dispel scientific misconceptions that have led to miscalculations of the likely effects of commercial operations to extract minerals from the seabed.
Interest in deep-seabed mining for copper, cobalt, zinc, manganese and other valuable metals has grown substantially in the last decade and mining activities are anticipated to begin soon.
“As a team of deep-sea ecologists, we became alarmed by the misconceptions present in the scientific literature that discuss the potential impacts of seabed mining,” said Smith. “We found underestimates of mining footprints and a poor understanding of the sensitivity and biodiversity of deep-sea ecosystems, and their potential to recover from mining impacts. All the authors felt it was imperative to dispel misconceptions and highlight what is known and unknown about deep-seabed mining impacts.”
Continue reading here.
Source: Scuba Diver Mag
Game Over, based on the original Space Invaders arcade game, highlights the risks posed by the mining industry to the health of the ocean and humankind.
Source: Eos
Author: James Dacey
Advocates of deep-sea mining claim the process is important for providing metals for renewable energy technologies. One of the strongest arguments against offshore mining is that the environmental risks are too high, given that deep-sea ecosystems are among the most undiscovered places on Earth.
A less reported issue is the impact that deep-sea mining would have on developing economies that rely on land-based mining of those same metals. That is the subject of a recent report commissioned by the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
Continue reading here.
Source: World Economic Forum
Author: Winnie Yeh
The world is hungry for resources to power the green transition. As we increasingly look to solar, wind, geothermal and move towards decarbonization, consumption of minerals such as cobalt, lithium and copper, which underpin them, is set to grow markedly. One study by the World Bank estimates that to meet this demand, cobalt production will need to grow by 450% from 2018 to 2050, in pursuit of keeping global average temperature rises below 2°C.
Source: NewScientist
Some species of anglerfish – the deep-sea predator that uses a luminous lure to attract prey – have a bizarre way of reproducing: they fuse with their mates. We now know how the fish can fuse tissues without triggering a potent immune response. They have a strange immune system.
Continue reading Deep-sea anglerfish fuse bodies to mate thanks to an odd immune system
Source: Forbes
Fabien Cousteau was born to be an aquanaut. The grandson of the famed explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau learned how to scuba dive at the age of four. His latest mission: building the habitat and operating an underwater habitat and research station that would be one of the largest ever built, named Proteus.
Continue reading Aquanaut Fabien Cousteau’s $135 Million ISS Of The Deep Sea
Source: The Scientist
Author: Amanda Heidt
Microbes extracted from deep sea sediments that settled during the age of the dinosaurs have been revived in the lab after eons spent in a dormant state. Despite needing oxygen to survive, the bacteria were able to make do with only trace amounts and almost no food for more than 100 million years. Once reanimated, most of the microbes were able to feed and multiply with seemingly no ill effects attributed to their long period of rest.
Continue reading Scientists Awaken Deep Sea Bacteria After 100 Million Years
Source: Gizmodo Earther
The Great Barrier Reef has been having a rough year. Warm waters have led to record coral bleaching this year and could hasten the reef’s die-off. But while surface corals are suffering, nearly a mile beneath the surface, deep-sea corals near the Great Barrier Reef are thriving.
