Environmental Impact of Ocean-Floor Mining

Oceans contain vast resource of minerals, both in sea-water and on the ocean-floor. The polymetallic nodules, found on the ocean-floor, form a considerable resource of manganese, copper, nickel and cobalt. Mining of the nodules will have a measurable effect on the benthic and pelagic environments in the mining area and there is a serious threat to the ocean environment due to deep sea mining. Careful attention needs to be paid to the environmental implications of ocean mining not only to determine the impact of deep sea mining on the ocean environment but also to determine the political and economic impacts of environmental variables on deep sea mining.