I’m on a ship 1,600 kilometres away from the nearest landmass. It has taken us five days to get from California to the middle of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Our team sends a remotely operated vehicle 4.5 kilometres down to a flat abyssal plain that has never been explored by humans before. As deep-sea biologists, we are privileged to see incredible sights and discover new species and habitats on every research cruise. And this time is no exception: an anemone-like animal with three-metre tentacles that billow across the seafloor, purple, pink and yellow sea cucumbers, incredibly delicate white corals, and flower-like glass sponges.
As incredible as seeing these creatures is, I can’t help but feel a tinge of sadness. It’s difficult for a marine biologist working in an area that may be forever changed within the next few decades. As the demand for metals increases, humans are seeking resources in ever more remote places and the next frontier of mining may take place in the deep ocean.
