The Cook Islands hopes to transform itself...by sending robots to the sea floor to collect minerals...[T]he...finance minister...said...that it could transform the nation into one of the richest in the world...[E]nvironmentalists warn mining could irreparably damage the country's...ecosystem...The...government acknowledges that the prospect of largely untested deep-sea mining in some of the world's most pristine tropical waters raises serious...concerns...Deep Sea Mining campaign said: "Serious concerns have...been raised about the potential for heavy metals entering marine food chains with serious consequences for the health of coastal communities." [refers to Seabed Resources (part of Lockheed Martin), Nautilus Minerals]