Mining the deep ocean

The push to mine polymetallic nodules from the deep seabed has escalated sharply, driven by demand for battery metals. A single nodule field in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone could supply enough nickel, cobalt, and manganese to build 280 million electric vehicles, but extraction threatens ecosystems we barely understand. Environmental assessments indicate that sediment plumes from a single mining vehicle could spread 70 kilometers, smothering fragile filter-feeders. The International Seabed Authority expects to approve the first contracts in 2026, yet less than 0.1% of this habitat has been directly sampled. This story forces a direct trade-off between green energy and ocean stability, and the data suggests we are rushing blind.