The Cooperative Study on the Deepsea Mineral Resources in Selected Offshore Areas of the SOPAC Region, 1996, Sea Area of the island of Tonga .On the basis of the previous survey results, three seamounts, MS01, MS11, and MS12 were selected and drilling by BMS (deep sea boring system) was conducted to understand the occurrence of cobalt crust. Environmental survey was carried out to make clear the environmental characteristics of the area. The area was selected in accordance with the joint study program for deepsea
The Cooperative Study on the Deep sea Mineral Resources in Selected Offshore Areas of the SOPAC Region, 1989, Sea Area of the island of Tuvalu.The area was selected in accordance with the joint study program for deep sea mineral resources in the EEZ of the SOPAC member countries agreed upon by the Japanese executing agency and the South Pacific Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC) on March 3, 2000. By the survey, seafloor topographic maps and acoustic reflectivity data by Multi Narrow Beam Echo Sounder (MBES) of thirteen seamounts had been obtained, and sampling mainly by
The Cooperative Study project on the Deepsea Mineral Resources in the Sea Area of the Kingdom of Tonga. This first year survey was carried out in the sea area within the exclusive economic zone of the Kingdom of Tonga, which is located in the middle east of the Lau Basin and has an area of about 36,000 km2.