Not just witness the diversity of life

but to glimpse vast amounts of rare mineral resources.

Some of the world most valuable metals can be found deep under the waves.

A discovery that has begun to pique the interest of the global mining industry.

The next frontier for mining is going to be in the ocean

because there's a lot of these rare earth elements and minerals in the sea.

The boldest mining companies are heading to the deep

drawn by the allure of a new gold rush.

But to exploit it, they're also beating a path to another strange new world.

In an industrial estate,

in the north of England,

SMD is one of the world's leading manufacturers of remote underwater equipment.

This is one of our deep sea mining machines.

It's a small prototype.

So, half of the size that you would see.

This is a remotely operated machine.

It's working up to 4,000 meters depth in some of the hardest conditions known.

We have a saying, "It's not rocket science—it's much more difficult than that."

The industrial technology the company has developed

has made mining possible, several kilometers beneath the ocean surface.

We are talking about gold, copper, silver, metals, cobalt

and all those resources are potentially very valuable.

They're absolutely necessary for the future prosperity of human kind.

With an estimated 150 trillion dollars worth of gold alone,

deep sea mining has the potential to transform the global economy.

The companies that run these industries will be able to buy whole countries,

so the value is almost immeasurable.

But at what cost?

With so much still to discover, mining in the deep ocean could have unknowable impact.

There are so many secrets to be revealed.

It's very important and delicate balancing act.