An initiative to assess erosion and sediment transport to marine, lake or reservoir environments aimed at the creation of a holistic approach for the remediation and conservation of surface waters, closely linking science with policy and management needs.

UNESCO: International Hydrological Programme (IHP)

One risk is that the mining operations could generate huge plumes of sediment that could drift through the sea - choking any marine life that feeds by ingesting water and filtering out its food sources.

BBC: UK Seabed Resources joins deep-ocean mineral-mining rush

Nautilus says that it is devising strategies for minimising the environmental impact, by trying to contain any disturbed sediment and leaving parts of the seabed untouched so the mined area can be recolonised by marine life.

BBC: UK Seabed Resources joins deep-ocean mineral-mining rush

"These were found in a shallow marine environment, so this beast must have been walking around, keeled over, died and the sediment must have gone over them and protected them for 12, 000 years, " Mr Mount said.

BBC: The tusks