? Dark Oxygen

Dark oxygen production refers to the generation of molecular oxygen (O2) through processes that do not involve light-dependent oxygenic photosynthesis. The name therefore uses a different sense of 'dark' than that used in the phrase "biological dark matter" (for example) which indicates obscurity to scientific assessment rather than the photometric meaning. While the majority of Earth's oxygen is produced by plants and photosynthetically active microorganisms via photosynthesis, dark oxygen production occurs via a variety of abiotic and biotic processes and may support aerobic metabolism in dark, anoxic environments.

Dark oxygen is oxygen that's produced without sunlight, unlike oxygen produced on the Earth's surface through photosynthesis. It can be produced in a few ways, including:

On the ocean floor

When nodules of rare metals on the ocean floor react with salt water, they produce dark oxygen. These nodules are made of metals like manganese, iron, nickel, copper, and cobalt. They form over millions of years around a central nucleus, which can be a shell fragment, shark tooth, or piece of basaltic rock.

In groundwater

Microbes in groundwater reservoirs can produce large amounts of dark oxygen. This oxygen can leak into the environment and support other oxygen-reliant microbes.

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The discovery of dark oxygen on the ocean floor has raised concerns about deep-sea mining:

Disruption of the process

Mining companies plan to collect the nodules, which could disrupt the process that produces dark oxygen.

Damage to marine life

The oxygen produced by the nodules supports marine life, so mining could damage it.

Cautionary tale

The discovery of dark oxygen serves as a cautionary tale for the mining industry, which has a history of damaging the ocean.

27 countries and 52 corporations have pledged to support a moratorium on deep-sea mining. The International Seabed Authority regulates mining activities in international waters.

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