Editing International Seabed Authority (section)

==== Clarion–Clipperton zone ====
[[File:2019-03-08 22-08-57 Sonne SO268-1 035ROV06 OnlyLogo klein original(1).jpg|thumb|Investigation into manganese nodule mining on the seabed in the Clarion–Clipperton zone]]

Most areas of exploration are in the [[Clarion–Clipperton zone]] (CCZ), in the Equatorial North Pacific Ocean, south and southeast of Hawaii, between Hawaii and Mexico. The quiet CCZ, as wide as the continental U.S., is home to [[Manganese nodule|polymetallic nodules]] or trillions of potato-size lumps of matter formed over millions of years that contain nickel, manganese, copper, zinc and cobalt, as well as deep water coral, sponges and unusual species ("ghost octopus", crustaceans, worms and sea cucumbers) that in a near light-less environment attach to the rock-like nodules for shelter.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Clarion–Clipperton Zone |url=http://pew.org/2o4se1P |access-date=2022-04-23 |website=pew.org |date=15 December 2017 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="pewtrusts.org"/> Contractors want to mine polymetallic nodules for battery storage for electric vehicles, smartphones, and solar and wind energy.<ref name="Wolman"/><ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-10-23 |title=China leads the race to exploit deep sea minerals: U.N. body |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mining-deepsea-idUSKBN1X213T |access-date=2022-04-23 |archive-date=23 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220423145254/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mining-deepsea-idUSKBN1X213T |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Heffernan |first=Olive |date=2019-07-24 |title=Seabed mining is coming — bringing mineral riches and fears of epic extinctions |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=571 |issue=7766 |pages=465–468 |doi=10.1038/d41586-019-02242-y|pmid=31341305 |bibcode=2019Natur.571..465H |s2cid=198496846 |doi-access=free }}</ref>