Summary
Until this discovery, it was believed that oxygen could not be produced without sunlight. Now, scientists have discovered “dark oxygen” being produced in the deep ocean, apparently by lumps of metal on the seafloor. Several mining companies have plans to collect these nodules, which marine scientists fear could disrupt the newly discovered process.
800 marine scientists from 44 countries have signed a petition highlighting the environmental risks and calling for a pause on mining activity. ‘There’s already overwhelming evidence that strip mining deep-sea nodule fields will destroy ecosystems we barely understand,’ says marine biologist.