India's expanding deep-sea exploration under the Deep Ocean Mission has revived debate over extracting seabed minerals while protecting fragile, poorly understood ocean ecosystems. BulletsIn Deep-sea mining extracts polymetallic nodules, polymetallic sulphides and cobalt-rich crusts from ocean floors typically 3,000 to 6,000 metres deep. India holds three International Seabed Authority exploration contracts covering roughly 95,000 square