James Cameron supports deep-sea mining. Scientists say it’s a huge risk. Who’s right?

Better the seafloor than the rainforest, proponents argue, but marine experts beg to differ as authorities meet to decide the future of deep-sea mining

In an exclusive interview with Guardian Seascape last Saturday, James Cameron argued that it is less wrong" to mine the deep sea than mining on land. I've seen an awful lot of seafloor," said the Titanic director and accomplished deep-sea explorer. And while there are some amazing creatures, they tend to be clustered in small habitats. What you mostly have is miles and miles of nothing but clay."

His view, which he conceded made him something of an outlier", is disputed by scientists and environmentalists who claim the opposite: that the ocean floor is a richer and more biodiverse place than previously thought, with new species uncovered each time they look. Deep-sea mining, said one, would result in extinction on a vast timescale".