Into the deep sea with the sun

Manganese nodules, small anthracite-coloured lumps at depths of up to 6000 metres, contain valuable elements such as manganese, copper, cobalt, iron and rare earths. The possibility of mining them is the subject of discussions about deep-sea mining, but the risks to the marine environment are still largely unexplored. Marine biologist Antje Boetius led the expedition of the research vessel SONNE in the South Pacific in September 2015. The 40-strong crew investigated the potential impact of future deep-sea mining on the marine environment.