Seabed space through the lens of deep-sea mining

Abstract

The Anthropocene ocean is characterised by intense human activity, enacted through a network of exploration, delimitation, extraction and pollution which extends to the furthest reaches of the deep seabed. Growing state and private interest in seabed mining (SBM) is accompanied by accelerating scientific study of the deep seabed, which aims to understand the geology and distribution of mineral resources and to characterise deep-sea ecosystems. Meanwhile, the legal regime that governs activities in the Area encapsulates the diverging interests of actors and entities working in relation to SBM. The deep seabed is an interesting subject for conceptual consideration, as the focus of widespread attention centred around SBM, and host to the conflicting narratives of extraction and conservation that dominate SBM discourse. A broad literature review of deep seabed technologies, geology and biogeochemistry is followed by a more focussed examination of SBM resources, impacts and regulations. By examining the ‘natural’ processes and components of the deep seabed environment, the technology used to explore, observe, map and visualise it, and the legal instruments applied to regulate SBM, this thesis aims to shed some light on its epistemological construction and the implications for effective regulation. In turn, these findings inform more critical perspectives on the deep seabed, based on its multiscalar, dynamic materiality, and continuous mediation between life and matter.