During the past century, scientists, world statesmen, and international entrepreneurs have become increasingly aware of the potential of the oceans as a source of minerals. This book provides an authoritative picture of the current state of marine mineral extraction. A major work of reference, it will be essential reading for both those engaged in maritime studies and for professional organisations involved in the extraction of underwater minerals.

The Earth Science Series of the Circum-Pacific Funding for ship time was made available through Council for Energy and Mineral Resources (CPCEMR) the U. S. Agency for International Development, the is designed to convey the results of geologic research in USGS, the U. S. Office of Naval Research (for RIG's and around the Pacific Basin. Topics of interest include 1982 work), the Australian Development Assistance framework geology, petroleum geology, hard minerals, Bureau, the Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources geothermal energy, environmental geology, volcanology, (BMR) , the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs, oceanography, tectonics, geophysics, geochemistry, and the New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial applications of renewable energy. The CPCEMR sup Research (DSIR), the New Zealand Geological Survey, ports and publishes results of scientific research that will and the New Zealand Oceanographic Institute (NZOI). Coordination of the program was provided by the U. S. advance the knowledge of energy and mineral resource potential in the circum-Pacific region. The Earth Sci Department of State and the South Pacific Applied Geo ence Series is specifically designed to publish papers that science Commission (SOPAC, formerly the United include new data and new maps, report on CPCEMR Nations-sponsored Committee for the Coordination of sponsored symposia and workshops, and describe the Joint Prospecting for Mineral Resources in South Pacific results of onshore and marine geological and geophysical Offshore Areas CCOP/SOPAC) in Fiji. Over 150 scien explorations.

In the last ten years offshore mineral exploration programmes have increasingly concentrated on the 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zones adjacent to coastal states. This book gives an integrated treatment of the various mineral types occuring in these zones, their genesis, distribution and economic importance. The book opens with a broad overview of the subject and discusses the legislative issues relevant to marine and mineral exploitation. Chapters then deal in turn with aggregates, placers, precious coral, phosphorites, manganese nodules, cobalt-rich manganese crusts and hydrothermal deposits. An international set of case studies illustrates each type of deposit, many studies based on the author's own experience in marine mineral evaluation programmes around the world during the past 25 years.