I. INTRODUCTION 
Manganese nodules were first discovered by the Challenger expedi- 
tion (1873-76) and have engaged the interest of oceanographers ever 
since. With the recent advent of technology capable of extracting min- 
erals from the deep ocean floor, commercial! interest is further height- 
ened by growing world-wide demand for metals concentrated in man- 
ganese nodules. Increasing dependence on foreign mineral suppliers 
and the resulting balance of payments deficits are causing concern 
in the United States. In view of the increasing accessibility to exploi- 
tation of these unclaimed seabed riches and international concern for 
the rights and claims of all nations to a share of the world’s resources, 
national policies and international conventions for regulating or con- 
trolling the deep seabed resources are being developed. This back- 
ground report on manganese nodules, the technology for recovering 
them, mining interests currently involved, legislative concerns, and 
international negotiations in this area has been prepared as a reference 
tool for further congressional activity in directing a national policy 
for deep seabed mining. 
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