Gas hydrates are compact structures made of water and natural gas like methane, and are formed in ocean floor sediments when bacteria break down organic matter. While oil and natural gas are the primary energy resources currently obtained from the ocean, other resources extracted from the seafloor include evaporative salts, sand and gravel which is second only to petroleum in economic value, and manganese nodules which contain valuable metals.

1. Resources from the Seafloor 14.4

2. Ocean Resources that are used for energy production Oil and natural gas are the main energy products currently being obtained from the ocean floor. Most of the value of non-living resources in the ocean comes from their use as energy products.

3. How are gas hydrates made? Gas Hydrates are compact chemical structures made of water and natural gas. The most common type of natural gas is methane. Most oceanic hydrates are created when bacteria break down organic matter trapped in ocean floor sediments. The map shows the known areas of gas hydrate deposites.

4. Other Resources that come from the ocean. Other major resources from the ocean floor include sand and gravel, evaporative salts, and manganese nodules. The sand and gravel industry is second in economic value only to the petroleum industry. When sea water evaporates and turns into salt deposites they can be harvested to form our every day table salt.

5. Another resource from the ocean Manganese Nodules are hard lumps of manganese and other metals that precipitate around a smaller object. They contain high concentration of manganese and iron and smaller concentrations of copper, nickel and cobalt, all of which have an economic use.