THE JAPAN TIMES | 26 September 2017 “Japan has successfully tapped into a deposit of deep-sea mineral resources from a deep-water seabed off the coast of Okinawa, the economy ministry said Tuesday, the largest such extraction of its type. It is the first time metals have been mined from the seabed in such quantities using […]
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The 23rd Annual Session of the International Seabed Authority – and the first Annual Session under new Secretary General Michael Lodge – convened 31 July 2017 at the ISA headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica. By the time of the final gavel on 18 August, the ISA had made a series of decisions with major implications both […]
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NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM LONDON (NHM) | 25 September 2017 “The sponges live on the ocean floor on metal-rich nodules. The region where they live is targeted by deep-sea mining companies interested in mineral extraction. Scientists believe they are likely the most abundant animal living on the nodules and could be a key indicator species for […]
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TAYLOR & FRANCIS GROUP | 24 September 2017 A completely new group of sponges has been discovered, which scientists believe could be a key indicator species in measuring future mining impact in a region targeted for deep-sea mining of polymetallic (metal-rich) nodules. They are likely to be the most abundant nodule-dwelling animal in the area. […]
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The Japan Agency for Marine‐Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) is field-testing a new monitoring system for long-term environmental data collection on the deep seafloor. The Edokko Mark I is a simple deep sea shuttle camera which descends from a surface vessel to the seafloor using its own weight, captures images and floats back to the […]
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A June 2017 report from the World Bank highlights the role that minerals and metals will play in a low-carbon future. The report “The Growing Role of Minerals and Metals for a Low-Carbon Future” asserts that the rise of green energy technologies is expected to lead to growth in demand for minerals and metals such […]
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On Friday, July 21st, a U.N Preparatory Committee on high seas biodiversity agreed on a recommendation to the U.N. General Assembly to advance an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) to negotiate a potential Open Ocean Treaty for the protection of biodiversity and ecosystems beyond national jurisdiction. Unlike the seabed beyond national jurisdiction, which has had a legal […]
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A new paper published by scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) is challenging scientific assumptions on the way deep sea vents are colonized. The study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, describes two geographically close hydrothermal vent fields that support very different animal communities. Both vents were discovered in […]
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INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY | 21 September 2017 JAMAICA, Kingston – – Mr Lee Young-gyu, chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea presented his credentials to Secretary-General, Michael Lodge, as the new Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the International Seabed Authority on Wednesday, 20 September 2017. Prior to […]
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MOLLY LEMPRIERE on MINING-TECHNOLOGY.COM | 18 September 2017 “A similar sentiment was felt following the recent approval for deep-sea iron sands mining by the New Zealand Government. This is the first approval of its kind and will see 50 million tonnes (Mt) of ore extracted per year from the South Taranaki Bight, offshore Patea, over […]
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