You can read all the latest news and updates on the Cook Islands seabed minerals sector here.
Collaborative expedition combines local knowledge and global expertise to study deep habitats in Cook Islands waters. The E/V Nautilus has completed a 21-day research cruise across priority deep-sea areas of the Cook Islands’ Marae Moana and wrapped up its portside engagements in Rarotonga before departing our shores.
Read MoreThe first dive of the NA176 marine scientific cruise has delivered exceptional results.
One of the cruise participants, Deep Sea Power and Light, provided cutting edge new camera technology [1] and a small team of experts to commission and maintain the equipment. This is the first time this technology has been deployed to such depths anywhere in the world.
Read MoreLater this week, the Cook Islands will welcome the arrival of the exploration vessel E/V Nautilus, a world-class platform for deep-sea discovery. Over the course of a 21-day science mission beginning 1 October 2025, the Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) and its partners will work alongside the Nautilus team to explore and better understand the hidden depths of Marae Moana.
Read MoreThe Cook Islands government has released its Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Regional Environmental Management Plan (REMP) for seabed minerals.
This milestone is an important step in managing our marine environment while considering possible future development opportunities for our country. The SEA covers our entire Cook Islands Marae Moana Exclusive Economic Zone. It considers national and international laws and leading best practices.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA) yesterday hosted a hybrid seminar at the University of the South Pacific, Rarotonga campus, bringing together eight international experts from the United States, Denmark, New Zealand, Australia, and China to discuss the latest advances in understanding seabed sediment plumes—clouds of particles that may be generated during seabed minerals extraction. Around 35 participants joined in person and online.
Read More“And to you, the people of the Cook Islands, I say – let us begin.” – Albert Henry, Inaugural Address, 1965. These were the words of the Papa of our democracy, spoken in 1965 at his inaugural address. Words that still echo today, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.
Read MoreThe Seabed Minerals Authority (SBMA), in collaboration with other partners such as the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), University of California Santa Barbara, and Kiva Marine, recently went volcano hunting without a seabed mineral in sight. Keep reading if you want to find out why and how.
Read MoreThe Cook Islands Government, led by Prime Minister Honourable Mark Brown, recently completed a week-long series of consultations with Cook Islands communities across New Zealand. The delegation visited Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Tokoroa, sharing updates on the development of the Seabed Minerals (SBM) sector and fostering meaningful dialogue with the Cook Islands diaspora.
Read MoreWe are committed to sustainably and responsibly developing our seabed minerals (SBM) sector for the benefit of our Cook Islands people. In line with the precautionary approach, any future decision on whether or not we will allow minerals harvesting to occur must be science based.
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