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Ocean Depths: More Costly Than Space?
9 Feb
Summary
- Deep sea metal extraction faces immense cost and complexity challenges.
- One expert compares ocean exploration costs to space travel.
- Nations pursue deep sea minerals for economic and supply chain security.
Deep sea metal extraction faces significant hurdles due to overwhelming costs and complexity, according to veteran marine biologist Sylvia Earle. Earle, a distinguished oceanographer, emphasized that the perceived ease of deep ocean operations is an illusion, stating that mobilizing the necessary technology for such depths is incredibly expensive.
Nations, including the United States, are actively working to establish policies and enhance technologies for extracting critical minerals like copper and gold from the ocean floor. This pursuit is driven by a desire to strengthen economic stability and secure supply chains. Japan, for instance, is advancing a long-standing plan to mine rare earths to mitigate China's dominance in these materials.
Earle, who has extensive experience in ocean exploration equipment development, highlighted the underestimated difficulties of working in saltwater at great depths. Her career includes leading over 100 marine expeditions, and she recently participated in building research submersibles for deployment in French Polynesia.
