item details
Overview
This is an example of a Manganese nodule - a spherical concretion of metallic oxides that grow on the deep ocean floor. This nodule was extracted from the Cook Islands seabed in the 1990s.
Significance
Manganese nodules are a mineral resource that has attracted the interest of deep sea mining companies. One study suggests 25% of nodules in the world are in the Cook Islands and may contain almost 20% of the worlds known cobalt resource. In 2022, the Cook Islands government awarded three companies seabed minerals exploration licences to undertake research into the viability of mining the nodules and any associated environmental risks.
Acquisition history
This manganese nodule was acquired by curator and poet Jean T. Chapman-Mason (Cook Islands/English). She donated to Te Papa in 2017.
References
Fotheringham, Caleb (2022) Seabed mineral exploration licences approved in the Cook Islands. Radio New Zealand https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/463255/seabed-mineral-exploration-licences-approved-in-the-cook-islands (accessed 16 May 2022)
Hein, James R., et al.(2015) "Critical metals in manganese nodules from the Cook Islands EEZ, abundances and distributions." Ore Geology Reviews 68: 97-116
Kingan, S.G. 1998: Manganese nodules of the Cook Islands. SOPAC Miscellaneous Report 295. SOPAC Secretariat. iv, 24 pages. September 1998