Battery minerals deep sea mining dark oxygen landers – Breaking News & Latest Updates 2026
Skip to main content
The homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.
The homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.
Posted
J
Justine Calma
These landers will scour the deep sea for signs of ‘dark oxygen.’

Scientists announced a new expedition to study the potential origin of ‘dark oxygen’ rising from the abyss, a recent discovery that’s been contested by some other researchers and mining companies seeking to exploit new sources of battery minerals along the seafloor.

A man works on a metal contraption.
New deep-sea landers were designed to withstand 1,200 times the pressure on earth’s surface.
Photo courtesy of the Nippon Foundation funding the new research initiative.
Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.
Comments
Loading comments
Getting the conversation ready...

Most Popular

Most Popular
  1. The Light Flip is a minimalist flip phone with a point to prove
  2. The FCC is planning to retroactively ban disguised DJI gadgets
  3. Apple’s rumored ‘Upgrade’ program brings lease-to-own pricing for iPhones, Macs, and iPads
  4. Neill Blomkamp’s new zombie AI ‘film’ is just slop warmed over
  5. Samsung’s wider Z Fold 8 feels just right

More in News

Philips’ new smart toothbrush shows you where you didn’t properly brushPhilips’ new smart toothbrush shows you where you didn’t properly brush
Microsoft is bringing original Xbox games to PCMicrosoft is bringing original Xbox games to PC
AMD commits up to $5 billion to AnthropicAMD commits up to $5 billion to Anthropic
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026: The 6 biggest announcementsSamsung Galaxy Unpacked 2026: The 6 biggest announcements
Utility companies promise to spare us from AI’s energy billUtility companies promise to spare us from AI’s energy bill
OpenAI says it accidentally hacked Hugging Face with a new AI systemOpenAI says it accidentally hacked Hugging Face with a new AI system

Top Stories