Scientists have discovered something new about the Deep ocean. They have found that “dark oxygen” is produced in the deep sea, apparently by lumps of metal on the seafloor.
Oxygen has been relatively stable at a high level for the past 500 million years. The ocean is responsible for about 50% of the oxygen produced on the planet. But, before scientists found this, it was considered made by marine plants photosynthesizing – something that requires sunlight.
Mining companies need to collect these metal nodules for their valuable metals, like lithium, cobalt, and copper, used in batteries. However, scientists explained that it will impact the oxygen-making process and marine life that relies on it. What is your opinion on this?
Andrew K. Sweetman is the leader of the Seafloor Ecology and Biogeochemistry research group at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), UK. He and his team researched an area between Hawaii and Mexico, where many metal nodules are found.
The nodules produce electric currents that split seawater into oxygen and hydrogen. The scientists measured the voltage of the nodules and found it similar to an AA battery. This discovery suggests that the nodules create enough electric current to generate oxygen without light or biological processes.
This finding, published in Nature Geoscience, has increased discussion on deep-sea mining and its harmful impact. Murray Roberts is a Professor of Applied Marine Biology and ecology in the School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh, where he moved in October 2016. He has signed a petition saying mining these areas could destroy barely understood ecosystems.
However, people should be more aware of the need to protect nature’s resources.
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