Will Deep-sea Mining Yield an Underwater Gold Rush?

“A mile beneath the ocean's waves waits a buried cache beyond any treasure hunter's wildest dreams: gold, copper, zinc, and other valuable minerals.”  There are trillions of dollars worth of minerals beneath the ocean floor, and one company, Nautilus Minerals, wants to start the world’s first underwater mining operation.  Our informant is Meghan Miner, a science outreach specialist, who decided to also include a video on how exactly Nautilus Minerals will be mining these minerals so deep under the sea.  The video is a step-by-step animation on how robots will be used to mine the minerals and detailing the basic processes, wonderfully clear and concise.  It seems a perfectly viable option, as presented by Nautilus Minerals, using perfectly sound arguments that t ocean floor mining is safer, cleaner, and more environmentally friendly.  Miner shoots this idea down rather abruptly, “at least that’s the plan” serving as the platform for discussion on the unknown impacts underwater mining may have.  The article points out that scientists weren’t able to prove the existence of underwater thermal vents until 1977.  

The article is presented in sections, introducing the wonder and gains of this project, then presenting reservations against it.  In the end, it is the drive that closes the article, an economic drive for money.  Initially presenting underwater mining as a promising new industry, the article takes a turn to explain scientist reservations against it, such as the fact that the mineral deposits “eyed by the mining industry” (not very nice wording, the connotation gives an idea of what Miner thinks about this) play host to teeming communities deep underwater.  Scientists especially wish to study these new communities which they had never before thought nor expected to have existed.  

The wonderful thing about this article -and indeed, of National Geographic articles in general- is that it does not expect the reader to be scientifically inclined.  Therefore, its message is portrayed in layman’s terms, expecting that people will not understand scientific jargon.  I think the point the article is making gets across clearly -that underwater mining should be a venture approached with caution, due to its potential environmental impacts upon underwater communities.  

Here's the link to the article:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/13/130201-underwater-mining-gold-precious-metals-oceans-environment/