The race to mine the deep sea - podcast

One of the largest mining operations ever seen on Earth aims to despoil an ocean we are only just beginning to understand, says global environment editor Jonathan WattsThe deep ocean is the least known environment on Earth. If you were to overcome the incredible undersea pressure and manage to dive down to its depths, it's possible to see a whole different world of aquatic life including pale ghost octopuses and humpback black devils, which have their own built-in lanterns. Some have described the deep ocean as a display of living fireworks: biologists think there could be more bioluminescent creatures in the deep sea than there are any kind of other species on land.The Guardian's global environment editor, Jonathan Watts, has been reporting on the science of the deep ocean and the incredible riches that lurk there, including vast reserves of copper, nickel, cobalt and rare earth elements such as atrium. He tells Hannah Moore that it's these materials that mining companies say are essential to start using if we want to stop relying on fossil fuels and move towards a greener future. Continue reading...