GSR and the Cook Islands Investment Corporation finish their first exploration campaign for GSR’s sixth expedition

October 9, 2019

Press Release
The partnership between GSR and the Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC-SR) has successfully conducted its first offshore research campaign in the Cook Islands’ waters. The two-week expedition took place between 9 and 23 September 2019. The research mission was conducted on board of the MV Grinna II and included the deployment of “free-fall grab samplers” at 5,100m-deep for the collection of nearly half a ton of polymetallic nodules and crucial information on the available resources in the Research Area. The CIIC-SR offshore campaign in the Cook Islands’ waters was the first in a decade. The campaign was executed under the supervision of the Seabed Mineral Authority. The valuable samples and information gathered enable CIIC-SR to compare new observations with historical data. This research mission improves our knowledge of the Cook Islands’ seabed and increases our confidence in the abundance of resources. The research team comprised four individuals from the Cook Islands Investment Cooperation, the Seabed Mineral Authority, the National Environment Service and the Ministry of Marine Resources, and two GSR geologists. The majority of the nodule samples were sent to Belgium for further research and analysis.