text:  Far below where even sunlight can reach, the seafloor of the Pacific has laid undisturbed for millions of years. That all stands to change. The mining industry has long eyed the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a large swath of the Pacific between Hawaii and Mexico. There, nearly 13,000 feet beneath the water's surface, are miles upon miles of fist-sized rocks called nodules. Inside each rock is a bounty of minerals like copper, nickel, and cobalt.