A Pacific Island state called Nauru submitted a request to say that they wanted to start mining the seabed. The minerals are needed in order to make electric vehicle batteries and wind turbines. That two-year rule expired on Sunday, July 9th, so just recently, without any decision. And so now we're in a kind of limbo state.
As the International Seabed Authority gathers in Jamaica to thrash out regulations for mining the deep sea, Chris Michael of the Guardian’s Seascape team gives Ian Sample the background to this highly contested decision. Ian also hears from the marine biologist Dr Diva Amon about why some scientists are sounding the alarm. Help support our independent journalism at
theguardian.com/sciencepod