A recently published discovery might fundamentally change the understanding of life and how oxygen is produced. It has also ignited a debate over its legitimacy, with the potential future of the world’s energy supply caught in the middle.

Polymetallic nodules — rocks filled with critical minerals and found at the bottom of the ocean — have been identified as a potential resource for powering the planet. Researchers from the Scottish Association of Marine Science have reported that these nodules might also produce oxygen, a finding they describe as “ground-breaking.”

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“This discovery of oxygen production at the seafloor in areas where you have these polymetallic nodules is really important,” Andrew Sweetman, professor and chair of seafloor ecology and biogeochemistry at the Scottish Association of Marine Science, said. “To power the green economy, we need to extract metals from the ground or potentially the deep ocean.”

The phenomenon, termed “dark oxygen,” challenges the longstanding belief that oxygen production cannot occur without sunlight. If these nodules are indeed producing oxygen, they are doing so in complete darkness and as non-living entities — two aspects previously thought impossible by conventional science.

The significance of this possible oxygen source to oceanic organisms remains unclear, but researchers suggest it could be vital and caution against removing nodules from the ocean for green technology purposes.

“What we have discovered means that we’re going to have to carefully think about if deep ocean mining goes ahead, where that mining should take place,” Sweetman said. “This oxygen is likely being used in whatever quantity that it’s produced by the ecosystem to basically breathe.”

However, not everyone is convinced by the science. The Metals Company — a leading organization in the push for polymetallic nodule mining for use in renewable energy technology like electric vehicles, solar panels and wind turbines — has criticized the findings.

In a statement to Straight Arrow News, the company called the research “flawed” and said its findings raised “serious concerns about the validity of their conclusions,” promising a published scientific rebuttal from their team.

The Metals Company also suggested that the timing of the discovery’s publication may indicate motivations beyond pure scientific advancement.

“The Metals Company was surprised to see such a flawed paper by Sweetman published,” The Metals Company said. “The paper was rejected from publication by four other journals yet accepted by Nature, a journal that has taken a strong view against deep-sea mineral sourcing. The timing of this flawed and oft-rejected paper to coincide with the International Seabed Authority meetings should indicate its motivations.”

The International Seabed Authority is currently engaged in meetings to determine the future of the deep-sea mining industry. Whether the revelation of dark oxygen will influence the decisions on permitting mining operations remains to be seen.