As the International Seabed Authority (ISA) studies the potential exploration of deep seabed mining, The Climate Conscious podcast highlights its threats, including that it affects “our best allies against climate change,” as the deep sea provides a myriad of useful functions, including locking away carbon in sediment.
A lot of blue carbon initiatives are focused on sinking carbon-rich sources down to the bottom of the ocean. With its cold, salty water and minimal currents, the deep ocean holds an incredible amount of carbon. The sediment is generally very fine, so disturbing it would lead to big plumes that are not natural for the ecosystems and that get mixed back into the water column, defeating the efforts to sink more carbon down there.
A lot of blue carbon initiatives are focused on sinking carbon-rich sources down to the bottom of the ocean. With its cold, salty water and minimal currents, the deep ocean holds an incredible amount of carbon. The sediment is generally very fine, so disturbing it would lead to big plumes that are not natural for the ecosystems and that get mixed back into the water column, defeating the efforts to sink more carbon down there.