Final answer:
The statement is true: organisms on the ocean floor can prevent manganese nodules from being buried in sediment through physical disturbance and chemical environment alteration.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that organisms living on the ocean floor may be responsible for keeping manganese nodules from being buried in sediment is true. The seafloor, particularly around hydrothermal vents, supports various life forms such as tube worms, bacteria, and other benthic organisms.
These organisms, in their activities, can prevent the burial of manganese nodules by either physically disturbing the sediment or by altering the chemical environment, which can affect sediment deposition rates.
For instance, chemoautotrophs that live around hydrothermal vents obtain energy from the chemicals released from the vents, thus maintaining a community of organisms around these vents. These communities can also include organisms like fungi that act as decomposers, breaking down dead matter and playing a role in sediment dynamics on the ocean floor.
Therefore, it's plausible that the activities of these various organisms can keep manganese nodules from being buried by impacting the sediment in their environment.