The main natural resources present in Antarctica are coal, particularly across the Trans-Atlantic Mountains, and iron ore. The Ross Sea also has oil and gas present. However, none of these are permitted to be mined until at least 2048. The Antarctic Treaty (1959) preserves the resources and ecosystem for strictly scientific purposes.
The ocean waters around the continent are fished in some areas under various quotas, limitations, and treaties, notably the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) in 1982.
Available resources include:
- water
- platinum
- iron ore
- copper
- lead
- cobalt
- chromium
- nickel
- manganese
- uranium