(@greenpeace)Emerging from the ocean depths into the realm of humans, a rare black seadevil swims toward the light of the world above. The anglerfish's usual home is in the deep sea, up to 1500 metres below the water's surface, where the sun doesn't reach. The viral footage of her ascent sent the world into a frenzy.
The anglerfish was thrust into fame as she appeared on screens across the globe, quickly inspiring art, becoming an internet sensation and making international news. She captured the hearts of the world and inspired curiosity about a place so untouched, so rich in life and so unexplored that it has long drawn global attention from scientists and environmentalists.
The anglerfish has struck wonder and awe in many of us – a mysterious creature that exists in the deep sea, out of reach of human hands.
But the truth is she isn't really out of reach of human destruction, as one industry looks to turn the deep sea into an industrial mining site. And it could be approved in less than six months.
What is deep sea mining?
Deep sea mining is a new destructive industry that wants to mine the deep seabed for metals and minerals. It's poised to start in the Clarion-Clipperton zone in the Pacific Ocean, where companies like The Metals Company plan to drop giant, grinding steel machinery to rip up the untouched ocean floor.
If allowed to start, deep sea mining would damage the oceans beyond repair, possibly driving countless species to extinction. The anglerfish species families would be facing this whirlpool of ruin. It could also disrupt the wider ecosystems of the ocean which millions of people living in the Pacific Ocean depend on.
One of the scariest risks when it comes to deep sea mining is that we can't possibly fully understand the risks. We only know a tiny fraction of what's in the deep sea and we're discovering new things every year, including a new anglerfish in the Clarion-Clipperton zone last year.
What we do know about the deep sea is awe-inspiring: kilometres deep in the ocean live magical creatures like the black seadevil anglerfish, strawberry squid, dumbo octopus, fangtooth and countless others. These creatures have all adapted to their unique deep sea environment - an environment that would be threatened by deep sea mining.
When could deep sea mining start? (Spoiler: too soon)
Deep sea mining hasn't started, but that's not from lack of industry trying. This March, politicians from across the world will meet at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) meeting to discuss the future of deep sea mining in the Pacific.
The momentum against deep sea mining is building – 32 countries are now calling for a pause or ban on deep sea mining. Several Pacific countries have been forging ahead as ocean protection leaders, like Palau, Vanuatu and Samoa.
How can we protect the deep sea?
Protecting the creatures of the deep starts with our governments becoming ocean protectors.
At the moment there is no industrial deep sea mining in the high seas yet. But as politicians gather to discuss the future of deep sea mining, now is a crucial time to urge your government to call for a moratorium by signing the petition.
We must raise our voices to protect the deep. The anglerfish depend on it.
Kimberley Bernard is a Senior Communications Advisor with Greenpeace Australia Pacific.
