A Shift for NOAA’s Surveys: From Science to Mining
A $20 million agency project will aid companies prospecting the sea for rare-earth elements.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is shifting from science to prospecting as it surveys a region of the Pacific Ocean to help private companies find mineral deposits buried on the ocean floor.
Deep-sea mining holds the promise of harvesting vast quantities of potato-sized nodules that contain manganese, cobalt, nickel and copper used in high-tech equipment like electric vehicle batteries and weapon systems. Commercial seabed mining has not...
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