C&EN Uncovered: The ocean floor is littered with valuable minerals. Should we go get them?

Resting on the bottom of the ocean are potato-sized nodules of valuable minerals that are more or less up for grabs. Multiple corporations and some nations are racing to build deep-sea drones that can withstand the extreme conditions at the seafloor and bring these 1-20 cm nodules to eager buyers on the surface.   Many of the metals in these nodules are critical for green technologies like batteries. But these nodules are also an important part of ecosystems we are just beginning to understand. In this episode, C&EN reporter Priyanka Runwal chats with host Craig Bettenhausen about this complex issue.   C&EN Uncovered, a project from C&EN's podcast, Stereo Chemistry, offers a deeper look at subjects from recent stories. Check out Runwal's full story at cenm.ag/seafloormine.   For more about mining the oceans, check out this episode of Stereo Chemistry from earlier this year about filtering minerals directly out of the water: cenm.ag/ocean    Subscribe to Stereo Chemistry now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.    A transcript of this episode is available at cenm.ag/deapsea. Credits Executive producer: Gina Vitale C&EN Uncovered host: Craig Bettenhausen Reporter: Priyanka Runwal Audio editor: Brian Gutierrez Copyeditor: Bran Vickers Story editor: Laura Howes Episode artwork: Diva Amon/Craig Smith/University of Hawaii Music: "Hot Chocolate," by Aves Contact Stereo Chemistry: Contact us on social media at @cenmag or email [email protected].