Deep Ocean Mining: Actions Needed To Make It Happen

Science and industry have long known that vast amounts of manganese nodules lie on the ocean bottom in most parts of the world. These nodules commonly contain more than 30 mineral elements and are especially rich in nickel, copper, cobalt, and manganese. Mining consortia have spent at least $140 million to develop deep ocean mining technology and will invest $2.1 billion to $3.1 billion to achieve commercial operations.