中国研究团队在世界最大海底金属矿区发现11,700种新病毒
Chinese team finds 11,700 new viruses in world’s biggest seabed metal deposit
中国研究团队在太平洋克拉里昂-克利珀顿区发现11,700种新病毒。该区域位于墨西哥和夏威夷之间、海面下最深6,000米处，蕴藏镍、钴、锰等金属，尚未开展商业采矿。国际海底管理局已为该区域发放17份勘探合同，其中5份由中国持有。
Up to 6,000 metres (19,700 feet) beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean between Mexico and Hawaii, billions of potato-shaped metallic nodules are scattered across the seabed.
The Clarion-Clipperton zone’s reserves of vital metals such as nickel, cobalt and manganese could surpass the total known reserves on land, according to some estimates.
While no commercial mining has yet taken place on the underwater plain, the International Seabed Authority has issued 17 exploration contracts for the area, five of which are held by China.
But a recent in-depth study of the zone by a Chinese research team has shown that future deep-sea miners will discover more than mineral wealth – they will encounter countless mysterious viruses.
来源：南华早报 · scmp.com