Clarion-Clipperton Zone
The Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) or Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone is an environmental management area of the Pacific Ocean, administered by the International Seabed Authority (ISA). It includes the Clarion Fracture Zone and the Clipperton Fracture Zone, geological submarine fracture zones. Clarion and Clipperton are two of the five major lineations of the northern Pacific floor, and were discovered by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in 1954. The CCZ is regularly considered for deep-sea mining due to the abundant presence of manganese nodules. The CCZ extendes around 4,500 miles (7,240 km) East to West and spans approximately . The fractures themselves are unusually mountainous topographical features. In 2016, investigation of the seafloor in the zone was found to contain an abundance and diversity of life – more than half of the species collected were new to science. Geography 
The fracture can be divided into four parts:

The first, 127°–113° W, is a broad, low welt of some , with a central trough  wide;
The second, 113°-107° W, is a volcano enriched ridge,  wide and  long;
The third, 107°-101° W, is a low welt with a central trough  deep which transects the Albatross Plateau; and
The fourth, 101°-96° W, contains the Tehuantepec Ridge which extends  northeast to the continental margin. The Nova-Canton Trough is often seen as an extension of the fracture. The zone contains nodules made up of valuable rare-earth and other minerals. Some of these play an essential role for the energy transition to a low carbon economy. These nodules form around bone fragments or shark teeth. Micronodules then further aggregate and accrete into the clumps targeted for harvesting. Clipperton Fracture Zone 

The Clipperton Fracture Zone is the southernmost of the north east Pacific Ocean lineations. It begins east-northeast of the Line Islands and ends in the Middle America Trench off the coast of Central America, forming a rough line on the same latitude as Kiribati and Clipperton Island, from which it gets its name. Clarion Fracture Zone 
The Clarion Fracture Zone is the next Pacific lineation north of Clipperton FZ. It is bordered on the northeast by Clarion Island, the westernmost of the Revillagigedo Islands, from which it gets its name. Both fracture zones were discovered by the U.S. research vessels "Horizon" and "Spencer F. Baird" in 1954. Deep sea mining 
The CCZ has been divided into 16 mining claims spanning approximately . A further nine areas, each covering , have been set aside for conservation. ISA estimates that the total amount of nodules in the Clarion Clipperton Zone exceeds 21 billion tons (Bt), containing about 5.95 Bt of manganese, 0.27 Bt of nickel, 0.23 Bt of copper and 0.05 Bt of cobalt. The ISA has issued 19 licences for mining exploration within this area. Exploratory full-scale extraction operations were set to begin in late 2021. ISA aimed to publish the deep sea mining code in July 2023. Commercial license applications were to be accepted for review thereafter. The so-called two-year rule states that before regulations are passed, a member nation has the authority to notify ISA that it wants to mine. This starts a two-year clock during which the ISA can come up with rules. If it fails to do so, the mining is implicitly approved. Nauru gave notice in July 2021, creating a deadline of July 9, 2023. ISA's next meeting, however, begins a day later, on July 10. Environmental concerns 
Areas of the fracture zone that have been licensed for mining are home to a diversity of deep-sea xenophyophores. A 2017 study found 34 novel species in the area. Xenophyophores are highly sensitive to human disturbances, such that mining may adversely affect them. They play a keystone role in benthic ecosystems such that their removal could amplify ecological consequences. The nodules are considered "critical for food web integrity". The zone hosts corals, sea cucumbers, worms, dumbo octopuses and many other species. Massachusetts Institute of Technology and TU Delft use their ISA observer status to investigate the potential impact of collecting these minerals and compare it to the environmental and human impact of terrestrial mining. In April 2021, scientists from JPI oceans project carried out in depth studies into mining technology and its possible effect on the seabed. Mining has the potential for large environmental impacts. The impact of the release of tailings from nodule processing into the water column on pelagic organisms or the detrimental effects they may have on the benthic communities below are unknown. NGOs and governments have called for a moratorium until more is known about potential environmental impacts. References

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Fracture zones
Pacific Ocean
Mining
Environmental conservation