Offshore oil drilling by 
The Battle for Oil by 
Experts believe that the oceans of the world are vital for a number of reasons. Scientists say they capture around 90% of the extra heat and about 26% of the excess carbon dioxide created by humans through the burning of fossil fuels and other activities.
Mining companies and governments will soon be allowed to extract minerals from the deep-ocean floor. These rare metals are vital for a more environmentally sustainable future on land, but at what cost to the health of the ocean?
Scientists fear that even before one of the last frontiers of exploration, the ocean deep, has been properly studied it will already have been exploited by commercial deep-sea mining looking for rare metal and minerals on the ocean floor, leaving its unique ecosystems badly damaged.
The video "Exploration for and exploitation of marine resources" is the fourth video out of a series of six videos. The video describes the legal framework for the exploration for and exploitation of marine resources, like for example mineral and genetic resources. It explains the different legal regimes, including the common heritage of mankind principle under the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The Sustainable Exploitation of the Ocean's Minerals and Resources.
Oil is a commodity in high demand. While most people would not argue about oil's importance, whether or not we should access and extract oil from below the earth's surface is a subject of frequent debate. Drilling for oil, both on land and at sea, can have a number of effects on the environment.
Numerous companies are moving ahead rapidly with plans to mine copper, gold, and other minerals near hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor. But in an interview with Yale Environment 360, marine biologist Cindy Lee Van Dover warns that without environmental safeguards the unique ecosystems of deep-sea vents could be severely damaged.
