Unknowns linger for sea mining
Scientists struggle to predict underwater digs’ effects on sea life
By Beth Mole
CHICAGO – As commercial interest in mining metals and minerals from the seafloor intensify, scientists are treading water in attempts to understand how such digs might alter marine life.
In the fertile waters off Namibia, for example, mining companies are exploring the potential for extracting phosphate for fertilizer. In September 2013, the Namibian government, which takes pride in its country’s sustainable fisheries, placed a moratorium on such mining until scientists know whether it can be done without damaging fish stocks and habitat.