锰结核是赋存于海底的一种蕴藏量十分丰富的矿物资源,由于含有锰、铁、铜、镍、钴等40多种元素,使其具有潜在的经济价值。从六十年代起,美、日、西德等发达国家先后对海底锰结核进行了广泛的调查,并开展了采矿和冶炼方法的试验研究。随着国际开发海底锰结核资源的进展,为了保护发展中国家的利益,第三次联合国海洋法会议于1982年4月通过 Manganese nodules are a type of mineral resources that are abundant in the seabed. They contain more than 40 kinds of elements, such as manganese, iron, copper, nickel and cobalt, which have potential economic value. Since the 1960s, the United States, Japan, West Germany and other developed countries have conducted extensive investigations of sea-floor manganese nodules and conducted pilot studies on mining and smelting methods. With the progress made in the international development of sea-bed manganese nodules and the protection of the interests of developing countries, the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea passed in April 1982