You see a world like no other. Life is abundant and it is all around you. There are strange creatures living in extremely deadly conditions. Before 1997, this world existed unknown, lurking in darkness. The only way for you to see this world is to be in a specialized submarine, otherwise you would die from the heat, pressure and extreme levels of toxins. And yet, in hostile conditions, life not only exists, but thrives. This world is here on Earth and it is unlike any other. The strange world described above was the deep ocean. At depths of up to 40,000 feet or more, life is abundant around mysterious natural landforms known as hydrothermal vents. Despite the fragile, beautiful and important life of these hydrothermal vents, many companies view them as simply deposits to be exposed to extract minerals. Samples were taken and mining rights were granted to companies to exploit these vents. No full mining projects are underway yet, but they will be coming in the near future. If exploitation of hydrothermal vents continues, important life forms will be destroyed as well as the Earth's oceans. The technology used to extract minerals is harmful to the ocean and its life forms. Additionally, some have looked at hydrothermal vents as easy places to dump nuclear waste, according to a paper on deep-sea exploration titled "Oceanography 1998: Exploring the Ocean Abyss." The damage and obstacles required to exploit these vents would not be worth the mineral wealth. These hydrothermal sources must be respected and preserved; furthermore, the expansion of their mining should not continue. Instead, hydrothermal vents could be safely observed with minimal samples taken for research purposes. Potential damage to...... middle of paper ...... areas must stop, otherwise hydrothermal vents will be destroyed along with 70% of hydrothermal vents. The Earth and 97% of its water: the oceans. Works Cited Analyzing the promise of deep-sea mining. Internet. February 13, 2014. Hydrothermal vent prospecting team. Electronic Library Science. Internet. February 11, 2014. Jarvis, Brooke. Deep Sea Mining --- Bonanza or Boondoggle?, PBS, June 25, 2013. Web. February 13, 2014. Mining. Encyclopedia: problems and controversies. Facts about File News Servive, and the Web. February 4, 2014.Ocean and oceanography. Encyclopedia: problems and controversies. Facts about File News Servive, and the Web. February 4, 2014. Exploration of seabed gold and copper. Nautilus Minerals, February 13, 2014. Web. February 13, 2014. Skaugh, Lew. New designs advance SPAR technology into deeper waters. PennWell Corporation, Web. February 13, 2014. UniServe Science. Webquest “Black Smokers”. AT&T, April 19, 2007. Web. February 6, 2014. November 2 1998.