A robotic arm extends, its three-pronged claw reaching toward the ocean floor. A moment later, it plucks a small, metallic rock from the seabed.
This robotic system, designed to mine polymetallic nodules—potato-sized mineral deposits scattered across the deep ocean—was recently tested in a controlled harbour environment. The onboard AI system carefully scanned the seabed, ensuring that no marine life was disturbed during extraction.
The metals found in these nodules—manganese, nickel, and cobalt—are in high demand for batteries and renewable energy technologies. However, extracting them from the deep sea remains a highly controversial practice due to its potential environmental consequences.
A More Sustainable Approach?
Impossible Metals, the company behind this AI-powered mining technology, claims that their system significantly reduces ecological harm.
“Our autonomous vehicle detects lifeforms as small as 1mm and avoids them, minimizing environmental disruption,” explains Oliver Gunasekara, CEO of Impossible Metals. “We believe AI can help make deep-sea mining far less invasive.”
The firm’s robotic arms, similar to those used in automated warehouses, swiftly pick up nodules while creating minimal sediment disturbance. But despite these advancements, skepticism remains.
Unanswered Questions About Environmental Impact
Environmentalists argue that deep-sea mining—regardless of technological improvements—poses a significant threat to marine ecosystems.
“By its very nature, mining removes part of the seabed, which serves as a foundation for deep-sea life,” says Jessica Battle, head of WWF’s global no deep-seabed mining initiative.
Experts warn that the deep ocean remains largely unexplored and poorly understood. “If we don’t fully know what’s down there, we shouldn’t be disturbing it,” says John Childs, a researcher at Lancaster University.
Historical evidence supports these concerns. In 1979, mining tests in the Pacific Ocean left large tracks on the seabed that are still visible today—over 40 years later. Researchers report that marine life has yet to fully return to the disturbed area.
The Economic Push for Deep-Sea Mining
Despite ecological concerns, interest in deep-sea mining continues to grow. Minerals like nickel and cobalt are essential for green energy solutions, and as demand increases, companies are seeking alternative sources.
However, past failures highlight the risks involved. Nautilus Minerals, an early deep-sea mining venture, collapsed in 2019 following financial struggles and public opposition.
As industries push forward, the debate over deep-sea mining remains unresolved: Can innovation make the process sustainable, or does the ocean need to remain untouched?
No commercial deep sea mining operations are underway today, though that could change this year if the first set of international regulations governing these activities is published, possibly in July.
Mr Gunasekara’s firm is currently building a larger version of its robot in a 20-foot shipping container, big enough to carry out commercial-scale operations. It will have 12 robot arms with grabbing claws.
He adds that “hundreds” of such bots would need to harvest the seabed at a time, bringing the spoils to a ship on the surface. The recovered nodules would then be transported to processing sites on land.
Unlike some other methods, in which heavy subsea equipment is tethered to support ships, Impossible Metals’ vessel would not have to remain in a precise spot for a long period, meaning its engines would not create as much noise. This would lessen the impact on wildlife, claims Mr Gunasekara.
He also argues that deep-sea mining would reduce the need for mining on land: “Anyone that doesn’t want to do deep-sea mining is implicitly saying we need to do more land-based mining.”
Jovana Jovanova at Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands is working on a different robot arm system that could gather metals from the seafloor. She stresses that those working in this field should seek to develop technology “in sync” with the environment.
Some deep-sea materials might be removed using more invasive methods, however. Seabed Solutions, a Norwegian firm, is working on a saw-based device to extract mineral-containing crusts or layers. The company says it is trying to reduce the volume of sediment disturbed by this process.
“You shield the cutting area and you ensure that it is under pressure,” says managing director Bård Brekke Jørgensen. “You have a suction head interface [on] your cutting tool.”
The Metals Company Pushes Ahead with Deep-Sea Mining Despite Controversy
The Metals Company, founded by former Nautilus Minerals investor Gerard Barron, is forging ahead with a different approach to deep-sea mining—despite facing protests, lawsuits, and regulatory uncertainty.
Barron, who serves as the company’s chief executive, remains confident about its future, even as legal challenges mount. One such case is a class-action lawsuit filed by investors over financial reporting related to a partner company in 2023—a claim Barron dismisses outright. “There’s absolutely nothing in it,” he says.
Regulatory and Political Support
Barron is critical of those advocating for a moratorium on deep-sea mining, calling their stance “virtue signaling.” He also suggests that the political landscape in the United States may shift in his company’s favor.
“We have many of our best supporters assuming very important roles in the new administration,” he notes, referring to the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House.
Upcoming Mining Application
Despite the controversies, The Metals Company plans to submit an application to the International Seabed Authority (ISA) later this year for mining operations in the Pacific Ocean. However, the ISA has yet to clarify how it will regulate deep-sea mining, leaving the industry’s future uncertain.
As The Metals Company moves forward, the debate over deep-sea mining continues to intensify—balancing industrial ambition against environmental and ethical concerns.
The Metals Company and Allseas Refine Deep-Sea Mining Techniques Amid Environmental Concerns
Dutch engineering firm Allseas, working in partnership with The Metals Company, has developed advanced mining equipment designed to extract polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor and transport them to a support vessel on the surface.
Managing Sediment Disturbance
According to The Metals Company’s internal tests, sediment plumes generated by this process would disperse over hundreds of meters rather than spanning kilometers, as some critics claim. CEO Gerard Barron dismisses these concerns as “total nonsense.”
To further limit environmental disruption, Allseas has modified its waterjet systems, which are used to loosen nodules, reducing the amount of sediment stirred up. However, a portion of the seabed sediment collected during mining must still be released back into the ocean.
Allseas spokesperson Jeroen Hagelstein says the company is exploring options to return this material at depths of three to four kilometers rather than at the surface, but notes that this approach could be energy-intensive and may not significantly reduce environmental impact.
Impact on Marine Life
Barron acknowledges that mining will inevitably affect organisms living on or around the nodules.
“If you’re a sponge sitting on a nodule and we come and collect you, there will be an impact,” he concedes. However, he also argues that many nodules—and the ecosystems they support—will remain undisturbed.
As The Metals Company and Allseas refine their techniques, the debate around deep-sea mining continues to pit technological advancements against environmental preservation, leaving the future of seabed resource extraction uncertain.
Experts Highlight Ecological, Cultural, and Economic Risks of Deep-Sea Mining
Ann Vanreusel, a marine biologist at Ghent University, has extensively studied deep-sea ecosystems and warns that polymetallic nodules—key targets for mining—serve as vital habitats for various marine species. Even if mining technology could eliminate sediment disturbance, noise, and pollution, the mere act of removing these nodules would still disrupt deep-sea biodiversity.
Beyond ecological concerns, Dr. John Childs of Lancaster University emphasizes the cultural significance of the deep sea for many indigenous communities. He warns that commercial mining operations could interfere with these traditions, raising ethical questions about resource extraction.
A Risky Business Model?
Adding to the uncertainty, Lea Reitmeier of the London School of Economics questions the economic viability of deep-sea mining. She notes that the market for cobalt, nickel, and other sought-after metals is highly volatile, making large-scale mining a financial gamble.
“When you look closely at which minerals actually face supply shortages, the case for deep-sea mining doesn’t seem as strong as some claim,” she explains.
As debates over deep-sea mining intensify, balancing technological ambition, environmental responsibility, and economic feasibility remains a pressing challenge
Can technology truly minimize the risks of deep-sea mining, or is it a gamble with unknown consequences?