Thousands of meters below the water’s surface, where light fades and temperatures hover near freezing, lies the deep seabed: the largest living space on Earth and our largest carbon sink which works to stabilize our planet’s climate. Far from the barren wasteland that many would assume, the deep seabed is teeming with life – home to between 2 and 10 million species, most of which are still undiscovered.
Amongst these amazing lifeforms that we know so little about, sits the latest target for corporate exploitation: polymetallic nodules. These ancient nodules, which take millions of years to grow, are rich in nickel and cobalt and pro-mining nations and mining corporations would have us falsely believe that their extraction is the future of green energy. These nodules produce “dark oxygen,” a mysterious yet essential form of oxygen that supports marine life. However, all current ocean science indicates that mining these nodules could have catastrophic consequences, not just for our ocean, but for our planet.
Scientists recently discovered that the polymetallic nodules are not lifeless rocks, as mining corporations claim, but living ecosystems. These nodules produce “dark oxygen,” a mysterious yet essential form of oxygen that supports marine life. Extracting them could obliterate ecosystems that take millions of years to form, with potentially catastrophic environmental consequences. As vital components of deep-sea ecosystems, which are possibly crucial for carbon sequestration, their loss could significantly worsen climate instability.
Today, within the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) – a vast deep seabed spanning over 4.5 million square kilometers in the Pacific Ocean – a staggering 3 million square kilometers, equivalent to the size of India, has been designated for potential mining. This area is on the brink of becoming the largest mine on Earth, exploited for the benefit of a select few. These decisions are being made behind closed doors at the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a secretive organization based in Kingston, Jamaica, tasked with the dual and conflicting mandate of both protecting the marine environment and facilitating its exploitation for profit.
However, the deep seabed in the High Seas (where the CCZ lies), is defined by the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as the “common heritage of (hu)mankind” and must be “held in trust for future generations.” This means the deep seabed doesn’t belong to any organization, nation or corporation. It belongs to all of us. It is our birthright as human beings, and there has never been a greater need to protect it to safeguard ocean health and planetary stability.
To combat the huge environmental threat posed by deep seabed mining, comes the launch of ‘The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute’: a campaign that gives global citizens the ability to freely reclaim the seabed in the CCZ on behalf of humanity and future generations, and become guardians of the deep ocean. This process gives people the ability to directly challenge the exploitation of the common heritage of humankind for corporate gain.
Matthieu Rytz, Director and Producer of the award-winning environmental documentary about deep seabed mining, Deep Rising, that is Narrated and Executive Produced by Jason Momoa, questions what could happen to life as we know it if deep sea mining licenses are granted:
“Deep seabed mining (DSM) hasn’t started yet and we have a-once-in-a-generation chance to change the course of history and stop another hugely destructive extractive industry before it does irreparable harm to our planet. By launching ‘The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute’, we are empowering humanity to formally challenge this modern-day colonial ocean grab that’s threatening to destroy an irreplaceable and vital part of our planet’s ecosystem – the deep seabed.
“The seabed can’t be owned. Corporations don’t have the right to decide what happens to it – especially if its destruction impacts our lives and the lives of our children. If history has shown us anything, it’s that a willingness to destroy our planet’s critical biodiversity for short-term financial gain causes planetary collapse. We know so little about our deep seabed and the function it performs for our planet, but we do know that all ocean science to date indicates that mining the seabed could be environmentally catastrophic.
We have been down that road before and it’s led us to the climate crisis. Are we really willing to repeat history by destroying one of Earth’s last pristine ecosystems without fully understanding its importance? Have we learned nothing from the destructive extractive industries of the past? We need to unite now and protect our birthright – the deep seabed – before it’s too late.”
The world-first global campaign, ‘The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute’, will divide the deep seabed into 8.1 billion GPS coordinates to represent everyone on the planet. These coordinates will be tokenized and mapped over the areas in the CCZ that have been designated for potential mining. People will be able to freely claim back their unique coordinates in around 60 seconds via a state-of-the-art, decentralized digital platform backed by web3 technology. By reclaiming the CCZ on behalf of humankind and future generations, each person becomes a guardian of the ocean floor. To add further transparency, each claim will also be recorded on CoinWeb, an eco-friendly blockchain which will help send a powerful message to nations, corporations and policymakers: the deep seabed is the common heritage of humankind and it’s not for sale.
In return for their claim, users will receive a beautifully-designed, individualized birthright certificate featuring a deep ocean lifeform and stamped with their unique GPS coordinates. This certificate, known as a DEEPSEA NFT featuring our deepsea unsung heroes – inspired by deep ocean life, known and unknown, will be available in 90 languages including many indigenous languages, and can easily be shared to social channels. The DEEPSEA NFT will non- tradable for financial gain. Each one will be stored on a decentralized server, free from central authority and censorship. This innovative approach ensures that these claims cannot be blocked or altered by any organization or agency.
The Deep Rising Impact Campaign is housed on deeprising.com, and uses groundbreaking web3 technology and blockchain to empower individuals to reclaim the deep seabed in a transparent, measurable way.
“Together with our web3 partner CoinWeb, an open-source, interoperability and decentralized platform, we’ll mint the NFTs onto the MultiversX blockchain: a protocol recognized for its minimal ecological footprint, is CO2 positive, and offsets more CO2 than it actually produces, unlike proof-of-work blockchains such as BITCOIN, which can have a significant carbon footprint of around 300kg of CO2 per transaction.
MultiversX energy consumption is dramatically lower, at about 0.04 grams of CO2 per transaction. To put this in perspective, just one Google search generates approximately 0.2 grams of CO2, meaning one NFT has a carbon footprint five times lower than just one search, and boiling a kettle emits about 15 grams of CO2.” Rytz said.
Deep Rising is also employing a process known as Merkelization for the tokenization of the 8.17 billion GPS coordinates (which represent all of humanity on our planet). This innovative method minimizes transactions, ensuring that the carbon footprint remains exceptionally low — potentially just a few grams of CO2. Those 8.17 billion GPS represents about 2.5 GB of data, which is very little. As a comparison, watching a 2-hour film on Netflix in 4K would use 14 GB.
Deep Rising is collaborating with a diverse range of partners, from high-level stakeholders to grassroots organizations, to elevate and amplify the campaign’s message. A key partner is the Republic of Palau, a Pacific Island nation already on the frontline of climate change and strongly opposed to deep seabed mining. Deep Rising is working closely with Palau’s government and traditional leaders to bring the campaign’s message to the world stage through high-profile global events. H.E. President Surangel Whipps Jr. of Palau serves as the spokesperson for Deep Rising.
Ahead of his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he will spotlight the grave threat DSM poses to his nation and the world, H.E. President Surangel Whipps Jr. spoke on the launch of the campaign, stating:
“The deep seabed is not just a resource; it is our shared inheritance, playing a critical role in stabilizing the planet at a time when humanity is facing an unprecedented climate crisis. We cannot allow a few corporations to exploit what belongs to all of us – especially when doing so threatens to unravel the fragile ecosystems that are vital in the fight against climate change. Once these ecosystems are destroyed, they are lost forever. The ISA must uphold its duty to protect, not plunder, the common heritage of humankind. This movement is about much more than saving the ocean—it is about safeguarding our collective future. The decisions we make today will shape the world our children and grandchildren will inherit.”
In addition to Palau, ‘The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute’ is partnering with grassroots organizations across various regions to educate and inform local communities about the dangers of deep seabed mining. This includes collaborating with groups in countries that are actively pressuring the ISA to allow mining to commence in the CCZ.