Source: Environment 360
Author: Mike Ives
For years, the idea of prospecting for potentially rich deposits of minerals on the ocean floor was little more than a pipe dream. Extractive equipment was not sophisticated or cost-effective enough for harsh environments thousands of feet beneath the ocean’s surface, and mining companies were busy exploring mineral deposits on land.
Continue reading Drive to Mine the Deep Sea Raises Concerns Over Impacts
Source: IFLScience
Author: Stephen Messenger
While there are no shortage of wacky ideas in science fiction about what creatures from other planets might look like, many weird and remarkable creatures can actually be found right here on Earth.
Continue reading Deep Sea Explorers Stumble Upon A Creature They Can Hardly Believe Is Real
Source: Yahoo News / Reuters
Authors: Sonali Paul & Gyles Beckford
New Zealand decides this week whether to approve an underwater iron-ore operation that would likely become the world’s first commercial metals mine at the bottom of the sea.
Continue reading New Zealand may kick start race to mine the ocean floor
Source: Canadian Geographic
Author: Ariana Kaknivicius
A Canadian mining company has been approved to start extracting ores of copper, gold and other valuable metals on the Pacific sea floor. The company, Nautilus Minerals, reached an agreement with Papua New Guinea to start mining within the next five years. Nautilus was granted a 20-year licence to excavate at Solwara 1, a site 30 kilometres off Papua New Guinea’s coast in the Bismarck Sea.
Continue reading Canadian mining company could be involved in world’s first deep sea mine
Source: Oceans Inc
Author: Reuters
A dispute between Papua New Guinea and Canada‘s Nautilus Minerals threatens to sink plans to mine gold and other metals for the first time from the ocean floor.
Continue reading Papua New Guinea sea floor mining project in jeopardy
Source: Nature News Blog
Author: Daniel Cressy
Controversial deep-sea mining company Nautilus Minerals is “terminating the construction” of its flagship project off the coast of Papua New Guinea and laying off staff, it said today.
Continue reading Deep sea miners terminate pioneering project
Source: Deep Sea News
Author: Rick Mac
On May 20th, 2010–one month to the day after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig (under lease by British Petroleum) exploded and caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico, beginning what would become the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry–the U.S. government and numerous environmental organizations accused BP of falling short in the information it had provided about the spill. While oil literally gushed from the Macondo blowout, information on what was happening beneath the water surface was not so free-flowing. Allegations were made that BP had engaged in a “cover-up” about the extent of the damage and the amount of crude flowing unchecked from its ruptured well at a water depth of approximately 5,000 feet (1,500 m).
