Scientists fear the impact of offshore mining on the search for new drugs | Environment

WWhen Professor Mat Upton discovered that a microbe from a deep sponge was killing pathogenic insects in his lab, he understood that this could be a breakthrough in the fight against Antibiotic-resistant superbugs, responsible for thousands of deaths each year in the UK.

Last year, other tests confirmed that an antibiotic sponge bacterium, found living more than 700 meters under the sea in the Rockall hollow, in the north-east Atlantic, was previously unknown to the science, increasing its potential as a life-saving drug.

But Upton, and other scientists who consider the deep ocean and its wealth of unique, undocumented species as a breeding ground for new drugs, fear that this potential will be lost in the haste to exploit the metal resources and in minerals from the deep sea.

"We are looking at the bioactive potential of marine resources to determine if there are other drugs before they are permanently destroyed," says Upton, a medical microbiologist at Plymouth University. He is one of many scientists who advocate stopping mining on the high seas, asking for time to weigh the pros and cons.

"We know that sponges are a very good source of bioactive bacteria. So I would say that they would also be a good source of antibiotics and anticancer drugs. In terms of sustainability, this could be a better way of harnessing the economic potential of the deep seabed. "

Oceanographers using remotely operated vehicles have spotted many new species. Among them, there were sea cucumbers with tails allowing them to navigate deep in the ocean and a rare octopus "Dumbo", found 3 000 meters under the Pacific, off the coast of California.

Upton believes that it could take up to a decade for a newly discovered antibiotic to become a drug – but the race for commercial mining in the abyss of the ocean has already started.

The deep sea, which covers more than half of the planet's surface, contains more nickel, cobalt and rare earth metals than all of the continental reserves combined, according to the US Geological Survey. Mining companies argue that offshore exploration could help diversify the supply of metals, including cobalt for electric car batteries, currently used in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where child labor is common. The demand for copper, aluminum, cobalt and other metals, to fuel technology and smartphones, is rising sharply.

Until now, the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a United Nations body made up of 168 countries, has issued 29 licenses for exploration activities to promote and regulate water and sanitation. Offshore mining. No commercial licenses have yet been granted, but one company, Global Sea Mineral Resources, has said it needs regulation by next year to start mining in 2026.

Last week, the ISA Legal and Technical Committee met in Pretoria, South Africa, for a workshop on developing environmental standards for a draft mining code, which would create a framework for exploitation. Michael Lodge, Secretary General of the organization, promised that the regulations would be finalized by 2020.

But many fear that it is too fast. Mining could devastate fragile ecosystems that are slow to recover in the dark under high pressure of the deep sea, as well as repercussions on the wider ocean environment. Critics have called for a ten-year ban on commercial mining activities.

Kristina Gjerde, Ocean Policy Specialist at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, is deeply concerned about the lack of environmental protection in the draft code. "We are going blindly in the dark, adjusting the possible impacts," says Gjerde. "We have no insurance, no proof that they can avoid serious damage."

A group of deputies representing several parties wrote in January that offshore mining would have "catastrophic effects" on habitats and species and concluded that the rationale for such activity does not exist. had not been presented yet.

A study published in January found that the reconstitution of soft sediments in the Clarion-Clipperton (CCZ) zone in the central Pacific, where most exploration licenses were granted, could take 10 times longer than We did not think so before. traveling further down the water column before relocation, affecting marine life over a much larger area.

Dr. Kerry Howell, Upton's colleague at Plymouth University, is working on a model to try to predict where there are important species on the seabed, such as Upton's sponge. "We do not have all the information we need," says deep-sea ecologist Howell. "Our project will look at which species could be important and which ones could be affected by mining. If the models work, we will know where they are and what they can do, and we can decide whether or not mining can go ahead. "

His work is part of a five-year, £ 20 million program funded by the UK Global Challenges Research Fund. "We write regulations in a serious absence of knowledge of the ecosystem," she warns.

Howell also receives funds, for separate research purposes, from an offshore mining company, UK Seabed Resources, a subsidiary of the UK-based US firm Lockheed Martin, specializing in aerospace and aerospace. defense. It's also an important job, she admits, but scientists simply do not know enough.

"Most offshore scientists are concerned about the speed with which regulation is developing," says Howell.

British partnership with Seabed Resources holds licenses to explore 133,000 square kilometers of the Pacific ocean floor, more than any government outside of China, according to Unearthed badysis, Greenpeace's investigative group . The licenses are located in the CCZ, site of one of the largest untapped collections of valuable metal ores in the world. The region contains trillions of black mbades the size of a potato, called polymetallic nodules, containing cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese.

Jon Copley, badociate professor at the Southampton National Oceanography Center and a contributor to the BBC's Blue Planet II series on marine life, is currently studying hydrothermal vents. Formed when seawater meets magma and mbadive sulphide deposition sites, these vents are one of three different deep sea resources administered by the ISA.

"The scientists are clear: we do not want mining," he says. "There are thousands of species of seabed living there and new species are being discovered all the time."

Nearly 400 new species have been discovered in active hydrothermal vents since 1977.

Copley thinks that science has evolved since ISA, whose members are party to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, began its work in 1994. He wondered if there was a difference between the two. agency is fit for purpose, while part of its mandate is to promote seabed resources "for the benefit of humanity".

"ISA was created on a false premise: there is a vast wealth there that could be used to fight social injustice. But it is quite possible that the business accentuates the gap between rich and poor. At what point do we say, "Wait, is that a good idea?"

"I can understand why the ISA does not want to frighten investors by being lax about protecting the environment. They must bring benefits to the developing world. They must be very careful.

Last year, environmentalists highlighted the designation of the "Lost City", an area under the Atlantic and one of the world's most important sites of scientific interest, as part of a mining exploration area.

Louisa Cbadon, a Greenpeace activist for the oceans, says the deep sea is comparable to the tropical rainforests in terms of carbon sinks, which are essential to fight climate change. Cbadon said, "We did not hear any insurance from the mining companies or the ISA about how they could manage this potential risk. Last year, ISA granted Poland an exploration license in a region developed by Unesco. At the present time, this seems to serve business interests. "

ISA said there was no indication that Poland was going to operate a mine in this region and that part of the research permit provided for the completion of environmental studies.

In a statement to the Guardian, Lodge states that, with respect to mining activities, the ISA takes "all necessary steps" under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea "to ensure effective protection of the marine environment, including marine biodiversity, harmful effects ".

"One of the most important aspects of the ISA's mandate is to ensure appropriate environmental badessments and safeguards in regulated activities," he said. "No exploitation of the seabed will take place before these elements have been approved by the 168 Member States."

Lodge says that the money that ISA receives from proposed royalties or other finances will be shared for the benefit of member states, taking into account in particular the needs of the least developed and landlocked countries.