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Comment by flockonus | Hacker News Reader

Oxigen is ALSO, and perhaps in vast quantities produced at the bottom of the ocean, by lumps of metal that react with sea water (aka Dark Oxygen). Interestingly, there are now massive marine harvesting operations targeting that very ore.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-discove...

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it wont matter how much oxygen you try to dissolve, if the temperature is too high you wont hold enough dissolved oxygen to allow aquatic life.

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/gases-solubility-water-d_...

To me the logical point was that some of the oceanic processes that release oxygen are under-thread by man's effort to pluck up those same resources.

It's true that temperature and salinity both mean less oxygen, which means these oxygenator resources might become moot for the ocean's sake, but the ocean mining work very well could threaten a vital oxygen supply for underwater areas, potentially. I think it's fair to say only that: we have no frigging clue whatsoever.

Now look up the temperatures within the water column. I don't see any notes about pressure. Temperature is one axis ...

Your charts show several "green house gases" and with some squinting and handwaving could be used to "prove" that the seas are mopping up those gases and saving the planet.

I used to keep tropical fish and they somehow managed to survive in water temperatures way higher than the open seas. In an aquarium it is the surface water area (not volume) that generally decides how many fish can live within it. The surface area determines how much oxygen can be absorbed, Oxygenating plants help and agitating the surface increases the surface area - it does not "mix in" oxygen.

My point is: That's all bollocks.

solubility of gases in water is a general phenomenon, yes water is solvent for a lot of things, and that exacerbates the situation, more gases, mean partial solubility rather than the whole solubility, so that would mean even less oxygen dissolved in a volume of water.

you need to update your model of physical chemistry, there are a number of issues to your detriment.

as temperature increases, gas solubility decreases across the board, solvent caging of water is inhibited at higher temperatures.

the issue is not only oxygen. water must be solvent to ammonia, and CO2 to an extent compatible with physiology.

it wont matter how much O2 is dissolved if you cant excrete your waste products.

CO2 dissolved in water at quantity will convert partially to carbonic acid, lowering the pH of the water, and dissolving Ca++ Carbonate this means its harder to make a shell, and what shell you have is dissolving at an increased rate.

The note on pressure is near the top of the page. "at one atmosphere (101.325 kPa) ". How would we even move the pressure axis for the ocean? I have no idea what you're complaining about.

Deep-sea mining has been studied and foreseen for at least 50 years, but it's never been economical. It is possible that current technology will allow for mining of nodules, but this still seems unlikely to me.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_sea_mining#History

but this still seems unlikely to me.

It is already underway and going live soon:

Below, our current progress report:

COMPLETED: Sponsorship Agreement COMPLETED: Exploration Contract COMPLETED: SK1300 NORI Technical Resource Statement; SK-1300 NORI-D Project Initial Assessment (PEA)(Excel tables) SUBMITTED: Collector Test Environmental and Social Impact Assessment APPROVED: Pilot Nodule Collector System Test COMPLETED: Pilot Nodule Collector System Test COMPLETED: Collector Test and Monitoring June 27, 2025: Exploitation contract application submission expected

https://metals.co/nori/

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