LibraryLeadership Ethics Case Library - University of Arizona Center for Leadership EthicsThe Clock is Ticking: Deep Sea Mining?
Leadership Ethics Case Library - University of Arizona Center for Leadership Ethics
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Last Updated: 04/02/2026
Case Organization
https://eller.arizona.edu/departments-research/centers-labs/leadership-ethics
Eller College of Management 520-621-2165 1130 E. Helen St. | P.O. Box 210108. Tucson, AZ 85721-0108
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In the 19th century, the British HMS Challenger set off on the first global research expedition to gather data on ocean temperatures, marine life, and geology of the seafloor. This was the first oceanographic ship replete with its own laboratories, microscopes, and other scientific equipment on board. Scientists explored the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans and discovered the first polymetallic nodules.1 These nodules form at a depth of 4,500 meters in the ocean, grow a mere centimeter every million years, and comprise rare-earth minerals including manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and cobalt (Co). These base minerals will be essential to fueling the advanced development of renewable energy. However, little is understood of the environmental impacts of deep sea mining. As land-based resources have become depleted, commercial interest has turned to mining these minerals at the bottom of the sea. The case involves multiple stakeholders and raises economic, legal, and ethical issues worthy of consideration. A bountiful supply of nodules exists on the abyssal plains in Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), a 4.5 million square kilometer area between Hawaii and Mexico. Estimates suggest that the CCZ holds six times more cobalt (Co) and three times more nickel (Ni) than all known land-based stores, as well as vast deposits manganese (Mn) and a substantial amount of copper (Cu). These extraordinary reserves could profoundly impact global supply chains. Of particular interest is cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni) as both are key components of lithium-ion batteries, which at present, offer the best energy density of any commercially available battery.2 The high energy density makes them ideal for use in cell phones, electric vehicles, and grid-level energy storage. The World Bank found that production of rare-earth minerals such as cobalt (Co) and nickel (Ni) could increase an astonishing 500 percent by 2050, to meet the growing demand for clean energy technologies.3 A spate of countries and companies have begun to engage in the exploration, research, and development phase of deep sea mining, tantalized by the prospect of tapping into the enormously valuable nodules.The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is an autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). |
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Learning Objectives
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This case focuses on evaluating deep sea mining through the intersecting lenses of sustainability, geopolitics, regulation, and stakeholder ethics. Students will develop skills in comparing complex resource extraction models, weighing uncertain environmental risks against economic and technological benefits, and building structured recommendations in the face of incomplete scientific consensus.
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