Marine Science Affairs 



Table IV.2 — Recent Marine Mining Activities 



Location 



Africa 



Red Sea 



Southwest Africa 



Union of South Africa. . 



Asia 



Borneo 



India 



Indonesia 



Japan 



Malaysia 



Papua and New Guinea 

 Philippines 



Thailand 



Europe 



Iceland 



Great Britain 



North America 



Bahamas 



Canada (B.C.) 



Caribbean Sea 



Mexico 



Pacific Ocean 



U.S.A.: 



Alaska 



Blake Plateau 



California 



California 



Louisiana 



New England 



North Carolina 



Oceania 

 Australia 



New Zealand 



Solomon Islands 



Tasmania 



Activity ' 



Exploration 



Dredging 



Exploration 



Exploration 



Exploration 



Dredging 



Dredging 



Exploration 



Exploration 



Exploration 



Dredging 



Dredging 



Exploration 



Dredging 



Exploration 



Exploration 



Exploration 



Exploration 



Exploration 



Exploration 



Dredging 



Exploration (in- 

 active) 

 Mining (Frasch) 



Dredging 



Exploration 



Exploration 



Exploration 



Exploration 



Exploration 



Depth (feet) 2 



6, 000 ± 

 600- 



(?) 



600- 



(?) 

 150- 



30- 

 600- 

 600- 

 600- 



150- 



150± 

 600- 



150? 



12, 000 ± 

 200- 

 600- 



12,000+ 



200- 

 600-2, 400 



30 ± 

 600 ± 



60 ± 

 300- 

 600- 



600- 



600- 

 600- 

 600- 



Interest 



Sulfide muds. 



Diamonds. 



Phosphate. 



Tin. 



Phosphate. 

 Tin. 



Iron sands. 

 Tin. 



Iron sands. 

 Iron; gold; 

 titanium. 

 Tin. 



Shell sands. 

 Tin. 



Aragonite. 

 Manganese nodules. 



(?). 



Phosphate sands. 



Manganese nodules. 



Gold. 



Manganese ; 

 phosphate. 

 Shells. 

 Phosphate. 



Sulfur. 



Sand. 



Phosphate sands. 



Phosphate; heavy 



metals. 

 Heavy metals. 

 Tin. 

 Heavy metals. 



1 Dredging operations generally include exploration activity. Does not include mines originating on land 

 and drifted out under the sea floor. 



2 Less than is represented by — ; more than is represented by +; approximately is represented by ±. 



Source: Department of the Interior. 



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