“Deep seabed mining hasn’t yet started and we have a once-in-a-generation chance to change the course of history,” said the Canadian filmmaker, Matthieu Rytz about the launch of phase two of the award-winning nature documentary Deep Rising’s campaign to stop deep sea mining in its tracks.

“This is our chance to stop another hugely destructive and extractive industry before it does irreparable harm to our planet.”

Over the last few weeks, Rytz has been on the campaign trail all leading up to this point: this week’s launch of what has been called The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute. The idea behind it – much like the concept behind 2023’s Deep Rising (an exploration of the bountiful life on the deep seabed, narrated by Hollywood’s Jason Momoa) – is to galvanise the collective power of humankind “to stand against corporate exploitation” of the ocean floor.

The deadline is tight. It’s understood that by March next year, the International Seabed Authority – a group acting mostly “behind closed doors” with a mandate to protect the marine environment – will attempt to finalise a controversial set of regulations that conservationists like the team behind Deep Rising argue will “potentially facilitate” deep sea mining.

What’s more is it is also believed that the first application to begin deep sea mining will be lodged ahead of the ISA’s next General Assembly in July. If it’s waved through, that will fling the doors “wide open”, argue environmental NGOs, to a Wild West of extractive mining practices.

Talk about a crucial deadline.

So, what’s the allure of the deep seabed? Thousands of metres below the water’s surface lies the deep seabed: the largest living space on Earth and our largest carbon sink, working to stabilise our planet’s climate. 

But, far from being a barren wasteland, the deep seabed is teeming with life. In fact, it’s home to somewhere between two and ten million species, the majority of which are still to be discovered.

Among the lifeforms we know so little about, sits the largest target for corporate exploitation: polymetallic nodules. These are ancient nodules – which can take millions of years to grow – rich in nickel and cobalt. It’s these that pro-mining nations and mining companies have got their keen eye on.

Why do they want them? Pro-mining nations and mining corporations would have us believe that the extraction of these nodules for their nickel and cobalt is the future of green energy. Environmental groups argue the only reason is for pure profit. 

An area of particular interest to pro-mining nations and mining companies is the Clarion Clipperton Zone – an area of seabed spanning more than 4.5 million square kilometres in the Pacific Ocean where a staggering 3 million square kilometres – roughly the same size as India – has already been designated for potential mining.

What’s the problem, why shouldn’t they have them? Scientists have realised that these highly coveted polymetallic nodules aren’t just lifeless rocks, but actual living ecosystems. Extracting them could, in fact, obliterate ecosystems that take millions of years to form. Responsible for producing something called ‘dark oxygen’, these nodules are a vital component to deep sea ecosystems – ecosystems perhaps crucial for carbon sequestration.

Their loss, scientists argue, could “significantly worsen climate instability.”

Who gets the final say? That’s the big argument right now. The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is a cross-governmental organisation meant to act to ‘protect the marine environment’. However, big questions are currently being raised over just what is going on behind closed doors – where the ISA prefers to operate. 

But the deep seabed in the High Seas doesn’t actually belong to anyone. Which is where conservation groups see a glimmer of hope. The Clarion Clipperton Zone is defined by the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the “common heritage of (hu)mankind” and must, therefore, be “held in trust for future generations.” 

The argument, then, is that the future of the deep seabed cannot be written by any one organisation, nation, or corporation but it is a birthright to all human beings.

How are we to exercise our birthright? This is where the launch, this week, of The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute comes back into play. Because this is a campaign – essentially the world’s largest petition – calling for one unified voice of humanity “to freely reclaim the seabed in the Clarion Clipperton Zone and become guardians of the deep ocean.”

“By launching The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute, we are empowering humanity to formally challenge this modern day colonial ocean grab that’s threatening to destroy an irreplaceable and vital part of our planet’s ecosystem – the deep seabed,” says Rytz. 

“The seabed can’t be owned, Corporations don’t have the right to decide what happens to it – especially if its destruction impacts our lives and the lives of our children. We need to unite now and protect our birthright – the deep seabed – before it’s too late.”

How is the campaign hoping to harness ‘people power’? This is an interesting one. The World’s Largest Ocean Dispute undertook the herculean effort to divide the deep seabed into no fewer than 8.1 billion GPS coordinates. This is to represent everyone on the planet. 

These coordinates will be tokenised and mapped over the areas of the Clarion Clipperton Zone designated for potential mining. People will then be able to freely “claim” their unique coordinates via a low-emissions blockchain. It’s an online petition, with a twist. 

In return for their claim, users will receive a ‘individualised birthright certificate’ featuring artwork of a deep ocean lifeform, stamped with their unique GPS coordinates. Not only will each Deep Sea NFT then be non-tradable for financial gain, by being stored on a decentralised server, each claim will be free from central authority and censorship. 

And what this means is that this is the world’s largest, and arguably most secure online global citizen petition ever created.

So, we claim GPS coordinates of the seabed. But do we actually own anything? No. But this is about sending a clear message. In fact, a key partner of this project is the entire Republic of Palau, a Pacific Island nation already on the frontline of climate change and strongly opposed to deep seabed mining. The team at Deep Rising is working closely with Palau’s government and traditional leaders to bring the campaign’s message to the world stage.

Ahead of his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the President of Palau, Surangel Whipps Jr. will spotlight the grave threat deep sea mining poses to both the Island nation and the world. He will also share the results of the Deep Rising campaign, acting a voice for the “potentially billions” of people the campaign hopes to attract the support of.

“The deep seabed is not just a resource, it is our shared inheritance, playing a critical role in stabilising the planet at a time when humanity is facing an unprecedented climate crisis,” said the Palau president. “We cannot allow a few corporations to exploit what belongs to all of us – especially when doing so threatens to unravel the fragile ecosystems that are vital in the fight against climate change.

“The ISA must uphold its duty to protect, not plunder, the common heritage of humankind. This movement is about much more than saving the ocean – it is about safeguarding our collective future. The decisions we make today will shape the world our children and grandchildren will inherit.”

This sounds like a crucial cause. Where can I reclaim my deep seabed coordinates? You can stake your claim and take your stand against exploitation of the deep seabed right here.