While conducting a scientific survey of vulnerable and unexplored deep-sea ecosystems along the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge, environmental campaign group Greenpeace deployed an underwater robot from 2,300 meters below the surface, in the deepest banner protest ever made from the seabed.
The words demanding global leaders do something were: “LISTEN TO THE SCIENCE!”
Dr Sandra Schöttner, chief scientist for the Deep Arctic Expedition, Greenpeace International, said: “This marks the deepest banner protest in history, to speak for ecosystems that have no voice of their own.
“World leaders have already promised to protect 30 percent of the oceans, now they must listen to the science and actually do it.
“We cannot meet our global goals if we also allow industrial exploitation of unexplored and vulnerable ecosystems in the deep sea. It is high time that leaders keep their promises and give the oceans a chance to recover.”
The banner was brought down to 2315 metres below sea level by the expedition’s remotely operated vehicle – ROV Holly – and held up in front of the hydrothermal vent field called “Loki’s Castle”, a unique volcanic ecosystem where black smokers are emitting 300-320 °C fluid from deep within the ocean crust.
Scientists believe our own distant ancestors may have looked just like the microbes living on structures like these, making Loki’s Castle a “cradle” of complex life that could hold the key to how life on Earth once started.
The Arctic is one of the most rapidly changing regions on Earth due to climate change, and as the industrial frontier expands toward the deep sea, through threats like deep-sea mining, Greenpeace warns that these unique “biodiversity hotspots” are at risk of irreversible disruption.
Dr Sandra Schöttner said: “It is not too late to act. Science clearly predicts the limits of what our planet can endure, but human action determines our survival.
“By safeguarding these deep-sea ecosystems within a global network of ocean sanctuaries and establishing a moratorium on deep sea mining, we can create a resilient safety net for marine life, and protect the health of our global oceans for generations to come.”
The Deep Arctic Expedition brings together world-leading scientists to explore Arctic seamounts and hydrothermal vent fields – all while livestreaming the science from the Arctic seabed on Greenpeace International’s youtube channel.
The area of the expedition was opened for deep sea mining by the Norwegian government in 2024, but the plans were halted last year after protests from environmental organisations, fishermen, scientists and the green opposition parties in Norway.
Deep sea mining would, according to many scientists, cause irreversible damage to vulnerable deep-sea ecosystems, including the destruction of habitats, and possibly species extinction.
Greenpeace is calling on world leaders to honor global climate targets, implement the UN Ocean Treaty to protect 30 percent of the global ocean by 2030, and establish an immediate moratorium on deep-sea mining.
