To the editor: I am a marine ecologist who has focused on the “creatures” that live in the soft sediments of continental shelves. I have studied the current state of knowledge about these ecosystems and know that we still know very little about the nature and productivity of these much shallower ecosystems. (“Deep-sea metals may be a source of oxygen for life on the ocean floor,” July 27)
Because of this background, I am acutely aware that we know orders of magnitude less about the “creatures” and ecosystems that live in areas of the deep ocean that are the focus of deep sea mining proposals.
Continuing mining in light of the current state of knowledge is wholly irresponsible. Existing minimal sampling programs have not scratched the surface of the complexity and critical processes of these ecosystems, let alone understood their productivity.
Dennis Lees, Encinitas
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To the editor: Not content with exploiting and polluting the Earth's continents, we have turned to voracious exploitation of the ocean. Four years ago, Japan mined crust from deep-sea mountain tops to obtain cobalt, a mineral coveted for use in electric vehicles.
Now humanity is seriously considering scraping the ocean floor for metals for batteries, not taking into account that marine animals are leaving the surrounding areas and even excluding deep-sea mining operations. Mining creates a plume of sediment that can spread into the surrounding water.
Although I am a long-time proponent of electric vehicles, I do not condone harm to the ocean.
Battery minerals can be recycled at a rate of 95% and there are companies that are achieving this. Let's leave our precious ocean alone.
Linda Nicholes, Huntington Beach
