So scientists are still not sure exactly how effective these areas will be. However, it has proved challenging to collect data from them - for example the types of species that live in them and how connected they are to the mining zones. These Areas of Particular Environmental Interest (APEIs) were chosen to help protect the entire region from the impacts of mining, which are a major environmental risk. Some protected areas were designated around those parts of the ocean that have been selected for mining. They are currently restricted to exploration only, but mining exploitation contracts could be signed in the near future. While the potential to harvest the nodules has been recognised since the 1960s, new technologies and the changing price of metals mean that mining is now much closer to being economically viable.Ī number of countries have signed exploration contracts for various parts of the CCZ. These nodules are mostly made of manganese, but are also rich in cobalt, copper and nickel, which mean they could be a vital resource in developing new technologies like electric cars. Mineral companies and nation states, eager to secure access to precious metals, are attracted to the area because it is rich in polymetallic nodules - small chunks of minerals scattered on the seafloor. The zone is important because it's the world's largest area of ocean that is targeted for deep-sea mining.
At six million square kilometres, it is roughly 24 times bigger than the UK. The Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) is a vast area of the Pacific Ocean between Mexico and Hawaii.
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