Page 28: of Marine Technology Magazine (September 2022)

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Quarry-some impacts

Nonetheless, human interference almost always poses an environmental risk. DSCC estimated that throughout a 30- year mining license period, each nodule-collecting operation would strip 8,000-9,000 square kilometers of seabed, leading to the possible extinction of species. In the second technique, when mining for cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts, the out- er layer of seamounts is stripped, destroying sea sponge and coral. The third type of DSM, which focuses on hydrother- mal vents, would devastate these fragile and largely unknown ecosystems. Despite these risks, the industry has gained too much momentum, and scientists have been looking for ways to make the unavoidable as harmless as possible.

Dr. Daniel Jones, associate head of the Ocean BioGeosci- ences Group at the National Oceanography Center, has set out to better understand how ecosystems will respond to and

Free Fall Grab being recovered after safely travelling to the sea? oor 5,124 meters below the vessel.

The results of a successful deployment of the free fall grab. © Moana Minerals Ltd / Ocean Minerals LLC © Moana Minerals Ltd / Ocean Minerals LLC 28 September/October 2022

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