The MV Nor Sky, a vessel chartered in 2008 by Nautilus Minerals to conduct environmental assessment at Solwara I, steams past the Tavurvur volcano near Rabaul. 

For Nautilus Minerals, the debt comes due.

2018 was supposed to be the year for Nautilus Minerals. Their three seafloor production tools—large underwater robots capable of mining seafloor massive sulphides from 1600 meters depth—were finally in hand and undergoing submerged testing. Their ship, the Nautilus New Era, was nearing completion. They had only a few hurdles left to clear before beginning production […]

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Fig 3. Examples of metazoan megafauna photographed at the APEI6 seafloor during AUV survey. Scale bars representing 50 mm. (a) Actiniaria msp-6. (b) Actiniaria msp-13. (c) Bathygorgia cf. profunda. (d) Abyssopathes cf. lyra. (e) Left: Chonelasma sp.; right: Hyalonema sp. (f) Cladorhiza cf. kensmithi. (g) Bathystylodactylus cf. echinus. (h) Nematocarcinus sp. (i) Sabellida msp-1 (polychaete). (j) Left: Freyastera sp.; right: Caulophacus sp. (k) Psychropotes cf. longicauda. (l) Benthodytes cf. typica. (m) Coryphaenoides sp. (n) Typhlonus nasus. o and p: probable new Mastigoteuthis sp. Same specimen photographed with different cameras: (o) vertical view; (p) oblique view (Image taken ∼1″ prior to the vertical shot).

A year of discovery in the deep sea

2018 was a banner year for studies highlighting the importance of hydrothermal vents not just to the highly specialized communities that thrive around seafloor massive sulphides, but also to the surrounding benthic community. Vents provide nursery grounds for octopuses and deep-sea skates, but they also provide food for deep-sea and shallow water animals. At shallow-water […]

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Mapping the online conversation around Deep-sea Mining.

Social media offers a snapshot of the human networks surrounding a particular issue. It makes public the conversations and relationships that once were hidden behind closed doors and over private phone lines. And, when the conversation is well-organized, it assumes keywords that make it searchable as well. What you see below is the snapshot of […]

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Nautilus deep sea mining plans in doubt over vessel conflict

Australian Mining | 12 December 2018 Nautilus Minerals’ production support vessel (PSV) has been acquired by Indian company MDL Energy in a blow to Nautilus’ deep-sea mining plans. The in-construction PSV is a cornerstone of the Canadian company’s plans for its Solwara 1 deep sea mining project in Papua New Guinea. The Solwara 1 project […]

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OEV acquires Nautilus production support vessel

Daniel Gleeson for International Mining | 12 December 2018 Ocean Energy Ventures (OEV), a subsidiary of the MDL Energy group of companies, together with Quippo Oil and Gas, has acquired the newly built production support vessel previously destined for Nautilus Minerals and its Solwara 1 copper-gold marine mining project off the coast of Papua New […]

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New paper considers protection for damage caused by deep-sea mining

Sonali Campion for The Commonwealth | 7 December 2018 A new Commonwealth paper examines who should be held responsible if deep-sea mining in international waters causes environmental damage. Written by Hannah Lily, Legal Adviser in the Commonwealth’s Oceans and National Resources team, it is part of an eight-part series produced in collaboration with the Centre for International […]

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CEO Paula Ma'u (R) and Ta'hirih Fifita Hokafonu. - ‘Olive Tree planting by the Red Sea in Egypt - The purpose for was to contribute to the efforts of biodiversity through planting olive trees at the Peace and Environment Museum or known as the Peace Park. It was also in support of the “Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework and Vision to 2050” for Egypt with suggestion to revisit it after 25 years marking the collective efforts of the member countries. Photo/Facebook

Deep sea mining a possibility, but could harm tourist industry, warns ministry CEO

Philip Cass for Kaniva Tonga News | 6 December 2018 Tonga is exploring the possibility of deep sea mining. However, there have been warnings that mining the seabed could cause environmental problems and could harm Tonga’s whale watching industry. Paula Ma’u, CEO of the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and […]

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A manganese-crusted rock sample being grabbed from the Te Tukunga o Fakahotu dive site, just north of the Manihiki Plateau, near the Cook Islands. Photo: NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, Mountains in the Deep: Exploring the Central Pacific Basin.

Cooks opposition in the dark over seabed mining

Radio New Zealand | 10 December 2018 The Cook Islands opposition MP Selina Napa has asked the government to reveal what changes are being planned for the Seabed Mining Act. Ms Napa said reported statements that the changes would be made public when they are tabled in Parliament “isn’t good enough”. Read the full article […]

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If commercial mining of seabeds is to prove viable, specialist machinery such as robot submarines will need to be developed. AFP

India sees ocean floor as ripe for mining

The National | 6 December 2018 In the classic 1870 Jules Verne novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, underwater explorer Captain Nemo predicted the mining of the ocean floor’s mineral bounty – zinc, iron, silver and gold. India is catching up with that only now, as it prepares to unearth treasures down below, aiming to boost […]

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submerged trials deep sea mining

A high-profile deep-sea mining company is struggling

The Economist | 5 December 2018 AFTER LISTING on the Toronto stock exchange in 2006 Nautilus Minerals became the public face of a daring new industry: deep-sea mining. It planned to pursue riches on the ocean floor, mining metals such as gold, zinc and copper, desired respectively for lustre, alloys and electronics. Robotic machines would […]

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