Treasure at Sea? The cruise is a joint expedition between Woods
Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Nautilus Minerals Inc.
of Vancouver, British Columbia, a mining exploration company
that holds exploration leases in the Bismarck Sea within the
territorial waters of Papua New Guinea. Nautilus is the first
firm to commercially explore the ocean floor for economically
viable massive sulfide deposits, and is interested in
understanding the size and mineral content of the seafloor
massive sulfide systems. The joint expedition includes a 32-day
WHOI research program funded by the U.S. National Science
Foundation to the Pacmanus vent sites in the Eastern Manus
Basin. The remotely operated vehicle Jason is being used to
survey and map the vent areas around an Ocean Drilling Program
hole drilled in 2000. Nautilus is funding an additional 10-day
program to explore and sample the Vienna Woods sulfide prospects
on the Manus Ridge, northwest of the Pacmanus study area.
Geophysicist Maurice Tivey of WHOI is heading