The promise and risks of deep-sea mining

A vast treasure of critical minerals lies on the ocean floor. Should they be extracted to help fight climate change? The International Seabed Authority is working to set regulations for deep-sea mining as companies engaged in the clean energy transition clamor for more minerals. That transition will be a central focus at the United Nations’ COP28 climate summit in Dubai from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12. An illustration of a robot descending to the ocean floor from a support vessel. On the seafloor the robot is surrounded by potato-shaped rocks known as polymetallic nodules. The illustration transitions to show that nodules contain manganese, nickel, copper and cobalt. The most-prominent of the three proposed types of deep-sea mining involves using a giant robot that is sent down to the ocean floor from a support vessel. This robot travels to depths of roughly 5,000 meters to the ocean floor — the least explored place on the planet. The seafloor, especially in parts of the Pacific Ocean, is cove

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• John Sanchez