The discovery that lumps of metal on the seafloor produce oxygen raises questions over plans to mine the deep ocean.

Scientists have discovered “dark oxygen” being produced in the deep ocean, apparently by lumps of metal on the seafloor.

About half the oxygen we breathe comes from the ocean. But, before this discovery, it was understood that it was made by marine plants photosynthesising - something that requires sunlight.

Here, at depths of 5km, where no sunlight can penetrate, the oxygen appears to be produced by naturally occurring metallic “nodules” which split seawater - H2O - into hydrogen and oxygen.

Several mining companies have plans to collect these nodules, which marine scientists fear could disrupt the newly discovered process - and damage any marine life that depends on the oxygen they make.

  • AmidFuror
    -9•5 months ago

    Color me deeply skeptical that these seafloor “batteries” have not been depleted. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. We need to overcome the possibility of faulty measurements or other sources.

    • @[email protected]English
      5•5 months ago

      The review standards for nature geoscience are pretty high, I think they will have thought of that

      • AmidFuror
        1•5 months ago

        Nature journals have published plenty of wrong and sometimes fraudulent work. I agree it is difficult to publish in them, but that’s no guarantee.

        I could definitely be wrong, but time will tell.

        • @[email protected]English
          1•5 months ago

          Sure they have; nonetheless the chances are dramatically lower than elsewhere. When they do that, it’s news.

    • Transporter Room 3English
      2•5 months ago

      Spoken like someone who doesn’t even know how a household battery works and has absolutely no idea how they’re different than this who just wanted to be contrary.