22
Nov
Deep-Sea Mining, A Major Threat To The High Seas - That Can Still Be Stopped
As our skipper Boris Herrmann is crossing the Equator and entering the South Atlantic on Day 12 of his second Vendée Globe, we want to shed light on a vital part of the Ocean he will sail across for most of the race: the High Seas. With threats like deep-sea mining looming, it is crucial to raise awareness and advocate for stronger conservation efforts to ensure the health and sustainability of the High Seas for future generations.
by Hélène Katz
An albatross in the Southern Ocean
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
Sargassum seaweed observed in the High Seas from onboard Malizia - Seaexplorer
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia
Manganese nodules on the seafloor in the Clarion-Clipperton zone, an area particularly threatened by deep-sea mining. The image was taken with ROV KIEL 6000 during expedition SO239 with Geomar's research vessel SONNE in April 2015
© ROV KIEL 6000, GEOMAR
Down on the seafloor live stranger, and more, organisms than we can imagine. More often than not, while watching live images from the seafloor remotely operated vehicle (ROV), the scientists onboard burst out: "Wow! What IS that? Did you see that?!"
© DeepCCZ Partners: University of Hawaii (US), Natural History Museum (UK) and University of Gothenburg (Sweden)
The time to act for the preservation of the High Seas is now
© Antoine Auriol / Team Malizia