Researchers say the polymetallic nodules that mining companies hope to harvest from the deep-ocean seafloor may be a source of oxygen for the animals, plants and bacteria that live there. This ...

Researchers say the polymetallic nodules that mining companies hope to harvest from the deep-ocean seafloor may be a source of oxygen for the animals, plants and bacteria that live there.

The results also raise new concerns about potentially mining polymetallic nodules, which could represent a vital source of oxygen for deep-sea ecosystems, Sweetman said.

The deep sea is home to “dark oxygen” Nodules on the seabed, rather than photosynthesis, are the source of the gas ...

"We need to rethink how to mine these materials, so that we do not deplete the oxygen source for deep-sea life," noted study co-author Franz Geiger, a Professor of Chemistry at Northwestern University ...

The research that gave rise to the dark oxygen discovery was partly funded by a Canadian deep-sea mining business, The Metals Company, that wanted to assess the ecological impact of such exploration.

A scientific debate has emerged regarding the possibility of producing 'dark oxygen' without sunlight, through metallic nodules found deep in the ocean. The discovery challenges long-held beliefs ...

Mining of rare metals on deep sea and ocean floors miles below the surface could create "dark oxygen" and also cause potentially harmful changes to the marine ecosystem, according to new research.

Scientists, deep-sea miner spar over ‘dark oxygen’ discovery. By Hannah Northey, Clare Fieseler | 07/25/2024 01:36 PM EDT . The Metals Co. is trying to discredit new research that bolsters ...

New research suggests that polymetallic nodules on the deep-sea floor may produce oxygen, a conclusion that could have enormous consequences for mining companies. Above, Gerard Barron, chairman ...

Related: AI chemist finds molecule to make oxygen on Mars after sifting through millions So-called polymetallic nodules are common on the ocean's abyssal plains, which are flat regions of the ...