China has now been conducting ´CT scans´ with their very own home-grown electromagnetic transmitter and receiver equipment. From July to August Members from the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology (SCSIO) and China University of Geoscience experimented with artificial-natural electromagnetism to discover the sea bottom of an area as long as 100 kilometers.  

“It’s like a ‘CT scan’ of the geological structure of the seabed. We put completely home-made equipment on the seabed which emits and receives electromagnetic radiation. By receiving and analyzing electromagnetic signal from both natural sources and artificial sources, we can visualize the structure and potential composition of the seabed, such as the presence of water, metals, oil and gas, and natural gas hydrates,” said Sun Zhen, a researcher from SCSIO. 

China has succeeded in making a breakthrough in exploring the deep seabed. They have made progress in electromagnetic field observation, offshore surveying, and powerful source emissions. China has made these important improvements to becoming a marine technology powerhouse.  

“The experiment is another step forward to better our exploration in underground geological research and marine resources. Previously we could only detect the seabed at 1,000 meters deep. Now the detection area can be much deeper,” Sun said. 

The competition to mine the seabed is heating up as Norway is about to approve deep sea mining in spite of deep concerns about the effects on the ocean environment.

“Deep sea mining is the process of extracting mineral deposits from the deep sea – the area of the ocean below 200 meters. The deep sea is the biggest habitat on the planet. Ninety-nine percent of the seabed is unexplored. The ancient ecosystems are very fragile and slow forming, a single polymetallic nodule is said to have taken 15 million years to form”, according to Vassar Saydel of the Oxygen Product. The Oxygen Project is a proud member of The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC), an alliance of 80+ international NGOs and environmental organizations banding together to #DefendTheDeep.

However, according to Dr. Sylvia Earle a marine biologist and oceanographer, “Seabed mining is like clearcutting the ocean, the effects will be devastating and irreversible.