The exact value of these resources is impossible to calculate reliably, but a leading UN official described the scale of mineral deposits in the world's oceans as "staggering" with "several hundred years' worth of cobalt and nickel".
That then increases the size of the hole in their balance sheets, and therefore the scale of the official rescue from taxpayers they will eventually require.
Police Commissioner Ed Davis is the most high-profile official to call for large-scale counseling efforts, a seemingly unusual gesture from the commander of a large police department.