- In a 2017 interview, Stockton Rush said his Titan submersible could be used in deep-sea mining.
- Marine scientists warn deep-sea mining could negatively impact marine life on the ocean floor.
- United Nations regulators are currently in talks to develop rules for mining the deep sea.
Stockton Rush, the CEO of OceanGate who died with his Titan submersible last month, planned to use the vessel for deep-sea mining, which is coming under increased scrutiny as companies can now apply for the chance to harvest resources from the bottom of the ocean.
In a 2017 interview with Fast Company, Rush said his early customers would pay extra to be among the first paying tourists to visit the depths of the ocean. It mean that as he took more people on dives to the Titanic, the amount he could charge for a seat on the experimental sub — $250,000 for the Titan's last voyage — would decrease.
But the Titanic tourism dives weren't the only use Rush envisioned for his sub.
"The biggest resource is oil and gas," Rush told Fast Company, adding that energy companies "spend about $16 billion a year on robots to service oil and gas platforms," he told Fast Company, adding he thought the success of OceanGate's tourism dives could prove to the companies that his manned submersible could be utilized in deep-sea mining operations.
What is deep-sea mining?
Deep-sea mining refers to extracting resources located in the deep seabed. That can include mineral deposits and metals such as nickel, copper, and lithium. Proponents of deep-sea mining say it can help address demand for materials that are needed for electric vehicles, the clean energy transition, and everyday items such as smartphones and laptops.
Critics worry deep-sea mining could have devastating impacts on the oceans and marine life, including ecosystems about which much is still unknown. Marine scientists have said that not enough research has been conducted in the deep ocean to fully assess the potential implications of mining operations.
According to a study published in May, scientists discovered more than 5,000 previously unknown species in an area of the deep ocean that has been identified as a target for deep-sea mining.
Now some scientists are warning the "biggest gold rush in history" — as the British economist Guy Standings recently put it — could soon play out as companies vie for the chance to mine the seabed.
The sea floor of international waters is governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas, which was signed in 1982 and lays out a legal framework for managing the Earth's oceans and marine resources. The treaty declared the seabed was the "common heritage of mankind" and that it should be managed in a way that protects it and benefits all of humanity.
In June 2021, the Pacific island nation of Nauru submitted an application to the UN's International Seabed Authority to start commercial, deep-sea mining. That triggered a clause in the treaty that gave the UN two years to review and establish rules for the mining operations.
As that deadline came and went, countries are still in talks, with delegates of the International Seabed Authority currently meeting in Jamaica for two weeks of talks, the BBC reported. The outlet said it's possible countries will have the chance to vote on a deep-sea mining ban later this month.
In the meantime, companies can now apply for provisional licenses to start mining the deep sea.
More countries have come out against initiating deep-sea mining. Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, and Spain are among the nations calling for a moratorium or pause on deep-sea mining, citing environmental concerns.
Rush saw the potential for his subs to be used in operations that harvest oil and gas, diamonds, and rare earth minerals, Fast Company reported.
A report released in March by Fauna & Flora, an international conservation charity, found deep-sea mining for rare metals would cause "extensive and irreversible" damage, including a loss in biodiversity that would be " impossible to restore."