World Oceans Day 2023
A New Threat Quietly But Swiftly Advances in the Deep Ocean: Mining
Photos by: E. Goetze, K. Peijnenburg, D. Perrine, Hawaii Seafood Council (B. Takenaka, J. Kaneko, S. Haddock, J. Drazen, B. Robison, DEEPEND (Danté Fenolio), and MBARI.) in Drazen, G. (2020). Opinion: Midwater ecosystems must be considered when evaluating environmental risks of deep-sea minin. PNAS 8:2011914117. doi!10.1073/pnas.2011914117
A new but largely unknown threat to our oceans is quietly but swiftly advancing in the deep ocean: Deep-sea mining. In search of rare earth metals (integral to technologies such as smartphones, electric vehicles, and wind turbines) the impacts of proposed mining practices on the many unstudied and undiscovered species inhabiting the deepest parts of the oceans remain unknown. Ocean Doctor has established a new initiative on this issue, led by our new Conservation Policy Intern, Sophia Marencik.
We are privileged to contribute a World Oceans Day article to today’s issue of Global Americans shedding light on deep-sea mining. Global Americans is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a leader in broadening discussion of the Americas within a global context.
TAKE ACTION
We urge you to join inspirational figures such as Dr. Sylvia Earle, Jane Fonda, Robert Redford and Jackson Browne by adding your name to the letter to stop deep-sea mining which will be delivered with your signature to United Nations and International Seabed Authority Leaders.
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