It's not about heat loss, it's about possible impact on the ocean floor and thus the unique ecosystems of hydrothermal vents. It may have a low-impact profile when managed correctly, but the process carries potential risks to delicate benthic ecosystems if not done well.
I'm not saying this work is a bad thing, just that one needs to be pretty careful about it. It's probably a soap box I'm more willing to jump up on being a former marine technician on research ships for many years.
I'm not saying this work is a bad thing, just that one needs to be pretty careful about it. It's probably a soap box I'm more willing to jump up on being a former marine technician on research ships for many years.