Deep Sea Gold Mining: Will Gold Be Mined in the Oceans?

I read a great article on Wired about how mining corporations are ramping up plans to mine for many different types of mineral deposits on the ocean floor.  Although deep sea oil drilling has been a reality for many years, the possibility of expanded mining operations in deep ocean waters is now a reality thanks to advances in technology.

Although the article doesn’t specifically mention gold, the question remains: will deep sea gold mining in the deepest ocean waters become a reality sometime this century?

None of the types of gold prospecting, panning and metal detecting that we discuss here on this blog all take place underwater (although gold panning and sluicing obviously are done in creeks, streams and rivers).  What would an underwater gold mining operation look like, and what kind of technology would be necessary to make a profit?

Some environmental groups have raised concerns about deep sea mining operations, saying that any type of large-scale mining in such a fragile underwater ecosystem could result in harmful pollution.  And undersea gold mining would be subject to different regulations than mining operations that take place on dry ground (whether open-pit gold mining or underground).

What do you think?  Is deep sea gold mining in the cards for the future, or will a lack of undersea gold deposits and solid technology keep this possibility out of our grasp?