Ch. 1— Summary, Issues, and Options • 9 



Even though the occurrence of some 

 minerals within the EEZ might have a 

 dim economic future . . ., an under- 

 standing of their location, extent, and 

 availability could provide an important 

 cushion under emergency conditions. 



then the cost of mitigating or avoiding damage to 

 the marine environment must also be considered 

 in determining economic feasibility of development. 



The strategic importance of several minerals in 

 the seabed — e.g., cobalt, chromium, manganese, 

 and the platinum group metals — could make fu- 

 ture economic considerations secondary to national 



security. Between 82 and 100 percent of these crit- 

 ical metals are imported (figure 1-2) from countries 

 with unstable politiczd conditions or where other 

 supply disruptions could occur for geopolitical rea- 

 sons, e.g., the Republic of South Africa, the So- 

 viet Union, Zimbabwe, Zaire, Zambia, China, 

 Turkey, and Yugoslavia. Even though the occur- 

 rence of some minerals within the EEZ might have 

 a dim economic future during normal periods, an 

 understanding of their location, extent, and avail- 

 ability could provide an important cushion under 

 emergency conditions. For shorter, less significant 

 disruptions, the National Defense Stockpile could 

 supplant the loss of some of the imported critical 

 minerals on which the United States is dependent. 



While the immediate challenge to the United 

 States is to gain a better understanding of the phys- 

 iography and geology of the seafloor and its envi- 



Figure 1-2.— U.S. Mineral Imports 



(Million dollars) 

 2,000 1,500 

 T 



(Percent) 



Value of apparent consumption Net import reliance as a 



and import reliance percent of apparent consumption 



The United States is reliant on imports of a number of critical minerals that are l<nown to occur on the seafloor within the 

 200-mile U.S. EEZ. 



SOURCE: J.M. Broadus and P. Hoagland, "Marine Minerals and World Resources," paper presented at the Marine Policy Center, Alumni Symposium, Woods Hole Oceano- 

 graptiic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, Apr. 5-7,' 1987 (modified). 



