Renate Reitsma

Co-modifying the Abyss: Economic Interests, Scientific Research, and Governance in Deep Sea Mining

Center for Science and Technology Studies at Leiden University

Supervisors: Prof. dr. Sarah de Rijcke and dr. Judit Varga

Background

Renate’s background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Management from Van Hall Larenstein and a Master’s degree in Sustainable Development from Utrecht University. She wrote her thesis on the future-proofing efforts by the London Convention & London Protocol in the case of ocean fertilization. She is a researcher in the FluidKnowledge Project and studies knowledge production on deep sea mining since February 2023. Renate has an affiliation with the Advisory Committee on the Protection of the Sea and is member of the Dutch National Ocean Decade Committee. Her passion for ocean science and governance drives her professional work.

Content

The escalating quest for rare earth minerals has positioned deep-sea mining as a critical yet contentious frontier. “Co-modifying the Abyss” explores the intricate web of economic interests, scientific research, and governance in deep-sea mining, shaping our understanding of the deep sea. I will draw on the discard studies framework by Max Liboiron, among others, to analyze the role of science in deep-sea mining within the contexts of systemic power dynamics, waste production, and environmental degradation. By identifying the actors and institutions that drive and benefit from deep-sea mining, Liboiron’s discourse on waste could further illuminate how these entities not only discard the physical environment through destructive mining practices but also ‘waste’ the potential for sustainable relationships between humans and the marine ecosystem.