- An international team of scientists has found that oxygen is being produced in complete darkness approximately 4,000 meters (13,100 feet) below the ocean’s surface.
- It was previously thought that only living organisms such as plants and algae could use energy to create the planet’s oxygen through a process called photosynthesis.
- Researchers sampled the seabed of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, an abyssal plain between Hawaii and Mexico, to assess the possible impacts of deep-sea mining.
Scientists have revealed a ground-breaking discovery of dark oxygen being produced in the deep ocean, confounding earlier assumptions that oxygen is only derived from photosynthesis, reports Marine Insight.
According to a recent study published in Nature Geoscience, metallic nodules on the seafloor at depths of 4,000 meters (approximately 13,000 feet) in the Pacific Ocean’s Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) produce oxygen in the absence of sunlight.
For decades, it was believed that oxygen on Earth was produced solely by marine plants and algae through photosynthesis.
Dark Oxygen produced by metal nodules
Prof. Andrew Sweetman, the lead researcher of the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), revealed that these nodules, including metals such as manganese and iron, produce oxygen using a method similar to seawater electrolysis.
The process occurs naturally due to the electric currents produced by metal nodules, which split seawater into hydrogen and oxygen.
The study demonstrates that these nodules function similarly to batteries.
According to Prof. Sweetman, suppose we put a battery into seawater, it will start fizzing as the electric current splits seawater into hydrogen and oxygen.
The nodules on the seafloor, functioning as multiple batteries, provide enough power to electrolyze saltwater, producing oxygen even in the darkness of the deep ocean.
The discovery initially announced in 2013 but only recently explored in depth, raises serious concerns regarding the environmental consequences of deep-sea mining.
Several companies are developing technologies to collect these nodules and extract rich metals such as lithium, cobalt, and copper, which are essential for battery production. However, Prof. Sweetman and other marine scientists are concerned that such mining may disturb the recently found oxygen-producing process and harm marine species that rely on it.
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has warned that seabed mining could destroy marine habitats.
Deep sea mining
Over 800 marine scientists from 44 countries have signed a petition calling for an end to deep-sea mining activities due to the potential risks.
Prof. Murray Roberts of the University of Edinburgh, who signed the petition, highlighted the potential damage to ecosystems that are barely understood. The consequences of this research go beyond Earth.
Prof. Sweetman states that the dark oxygen production process could take place on other moons and planets, potentially creating oxygen-rich environments where life could thrive.
The recent discovery of oxygen in the deep ocean not only challenges previous theories regarding the origins of oxygen on Earth but also highlights the importance of carefully considering deep-sea mining techniques.
Dr Sweetman said that they need to delve deeper into the discovery and ensure that all future mining activities are carried out in the most environmentally friendly ways possible.
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Source: Marine Insight
