Inside the Deep-Sea Mining Debate

As the global demand for critical minerals continues to increase, governments worldwide are continually looking for innovative ways to access these resources, which has led many to discuss the potential for deep-sea mining. However, concerns over environmental damage related to deep-sea operations have prevented greater exploration until now, and recent evidence showing the devastating impact mining could have on marine life could put it on indefinite hold. A study published in December, funded by The Metals Company, which was hoping to become…