Interest in deep-sea mining has increased globally in recent years. And even as the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the U.N. body responsible for overseeing the activity in international waters, continues to deliberate its regulatory framework, companies seek out loopholes to get their projects underway. In Brazil, a study carried out by the Mining Observatory, a Mongabay reporting partner, has revealed a surge in requests to prospect for minerals in Brazilian waters. Of the 950 applications registered with the National Mining Agency (ANM) since 1967, 456 were filed between 2020 and the end of 2024. Most sought permission to mine off the coasts of the states of Maranhão, Bahia and Espírito Santo. This boom of interest in seabed mineral deposits is driven by economic incentives, in particular the accelerated pace of the clean energy transition and demand for minerals that are strategic for renewable energy sources. Some are so strategic that they’re being used as an argument to justify exploration without sufficient environmental impact studies in sensitive zones such as the ocean floor. The substances most sought off the Brazilian coast are phosphate and potassium salts. These are followed closely by three types of limestone and calcareous shells, all of which are potential raw material for the fertilizer industry. A calcified red marine algae called Lithothamnion found in the deep waters off the Brazilian coast is the most cited substance in requests for environmental licensing. In its efforts to reduce its dependence on imports of these raw materials, Brazil has taken…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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