A Gold Rush in the Abyss
Thursday, 19 July 2012 10:46
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By WILLIAM J. BROAD, Source: NYTimes.com
Tom Dettweiler makes his living miles down. He helped find the Titanic. After that, his teams located a lost submarine heavy with gold. In all, he has cast light on dozens of vanished ships.
Mr. Dettweiler has now turned from recovering lost treasures to prospecting for natural ones that litter the seabed: craggy deposits rich in gold and silver, copper and cobalt, lead and zinc. A new understanding of marine geology has led to the discovery of hundreds of these unexpected ore bodies, known as massive sulfides because of their sulfurous nature.
These finds are fueling a gold rush as nations, companies and entrepreneurs race to stake claims to the sulfide-rich areas, which dot the volcanic springs of the frigid seabed. The prospectors — motivated by dwindling resources on land as well as record prices for gold and other metals — are busy hauling up samples and assessing deposits valued at trillions of dollars.
“We’ve had extreme success,” Mr. Dettweiler said in a recent interview about the deepwater efforts of his company, Odyssey Marine Exploration of Tampa, Fla.
Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2012 10:51
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Nautilus/PNG continue talks
Thursday, 19 July 2012 10:40
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By PATRICK MATBOB; Source: http://www.islandsbusiness.com
Discussions between Nautilus Minerals and the state of PNG have failed to resolve a dispute that has halted the progress of experimental Solwara 1 seabed mining in PNG waters.
Nautilus has reported that a number of meetings have been held between senior representatives of the two parties and discussions would continue until a conclusion was reached.
Meanwhile, opposition to experimental seabed mining plans is growing in PNG and the Pacific region.
One of PNG’s vocal local environment group, Mas Kagin Tapani Association (known as Makata), has called on Nautilus to stop exploiting the pristine Bismarck and Solomon Seas with its experimental seabed mining. It has also called on the PNG state not to pay Nautilus the 30% equity which it was taking up in the project.
National coordinator for the local not-for-profit group Wenceslaus Magun said: “There is no justification for the PNG government to pay 30% to Nautilus.
“This foreign-owned corporation does not own the resources by birth right. They cannot ask the PNG government to make such a contribution to help develop their experimental seabed mining project.
Last Updated on Thursday, 19 July 2012 10:56
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PREEN Newsletter July 2012
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 14:20
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We are pleased to present to you the July 2012 Edition of PREEN Newsletter. The edition includes highlights of recent publications on economic assessments of natural ecosystems, as well as overviews of the cost-benefit analysis workshops that have taken place since the beginning of the year.
A special feature on the World Bank Pacific Disaster Risk Financing and Insurance (PDRFI) project is also included. We hope you will find this newsletter useful in keeping up to date with the economics research and events in the Pacific region.
The next edition of this Newsletter will likely be December 2012. We welcome new articles as they emerge so please feel free to share new events and finding with us in view of keeping the network informed of developments in the Pacific.
Best regards,
Anja Grujovic
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 July 2012 14:28
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Howorth, Chairman of International Seabed Authorithy Legal and Technical Commission
Wednesday, 18 July 2012 10:12
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Dr. Russell Howorth has been elected Chairman of the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
With the election of Dr. Howorth, the Pacific continues to play a prominent role at ISA; its President, Peter Thomson, is Fiji’s permanent representative to the United Nations, while ISA’s first Secretary General, Satya Nand, is a former Fiji Ambassador. Dr. Howorth is the Director of SOPAC, a division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC).
ISA was established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and currently has 162 member states. It is an autonomous international organization, to which state parties to the Convention are given the responsibility of organising, controlling and administering the resources of the international seabed beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.
In his capacity as chairman of the Legal and Technical Commission, Dr. Howorth presides over a 25-member council that is entrusted with functions relating to activities in the international seabed.
Included in these are the review of applications for plans of work, supervision of exploration or mining activities and the assessment of the environmental impact of such activities.
The Commission also provides advice to the International Seabed Authority’s Assembly and Council on all matters relating to exploration and exploitation of non-living marine resources (such as polymetallic [manganese] nodules, polymetallic (sulphides and cobalt crusts).
While Dr. Howorth’s term on the Legal and Technical Commission is for five years, his chairmanship is for the coming year.
Last Updated on Monday, 23 July 2012 15:24
2012 GIS & RS Conference Announced
Tuesday, 17 July 2012 13:36
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Scientists, users and vendors not only from the Pacific Region, but the world at large will convene for a 4 day conference in Suva, Fiji Islands from 27th November to participate at the 2012 Pacific Island Countries Geographic Information System and Remote Sensing User Conference.
Since it’s inception in 1999, the annual conference has grown from strength to strength as evident by the increase in attendance, expertise and calibre of presentations and discussions held over the years.
The theme for this year is “Mapping Pacific Resources”, which is timely as the recently concluded Rio +20 United Nations conference noted the relevance of global mapping and recognised the value of reliable geospatial information for sustainable development and decision-making. The global conference further recognised the need to support developing countries in their efforts to collect resource and environmental data.
Last Updated on Tuesday, 17 July 2012 13:42
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