Key points
- Three peer-reviewed papers on the IOM claim area in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone were published in 2025.
- Balo et al. in Economics and Environment assess IOM nodules as a European source of rare earth elements, cobalt, manganese, lithium and scandium.
- Gastineau et al. in Zookeys report mitochondrial genomes and nuclear ribosomal genes for nine benthic invertebrates collected in the IOM licence area in 2014.
- Hikov et al. in Minerals map the mineral composition and critical raw material content of the nodules in the eastern Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone.
An article titled Unlocking Europe’s resources: the strategic potential of IOM deep sea polymetallic nodules for critical metals supply (Baláž et al., 2025) has recently been published in the journal Economics and Environment. The paper investigates the potential of seabed polymetallic nodules in the IOM claim area in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone in the Pacific Ocean as a sustainable source of critical metals such as rare earth elements (REEs), cobalt, manganese, lithium and scandium.
An article Genomic investigation of benthic invertebrates from the Clarion-Clipperton fields of polymetallic nodules (Gastineau et al., 2025) has been published in the journal Zookeys. Ten specimens from the IOM licence area in the CCZ were collected in 2014 and submitted to a short-read genome skimming sequencing. In total, mitochondrial genomes and nuclear ribosomal genes were retrieved for nine different organisms belonging to Ophiuroidea, Holothuroidea, Polychaeta, Bryozoa, Porifera, and Brachiopoda. Several of these specimens represent poorly studied groups for which few molecular references are available as of now.
An article Geochemistry of REE and Other Critical Elements in Deep-Sea Polymetallic Nodules from IOM Exploration Area in Eastern Part of Clarion–Clipperton Fracture Zone, NE Pacific (Hikov et al., 2025) has been published in the journal Minerals (MDPI). The study aims to define the mineral composition and determine the content of critical raw materials (CRM) in the polymetallic nodules and to assess the main factors controlling metal deposition and nodule enrichment in some CRMs. In addition to Ni, Cu, Co, and Mn resources, the IOM deposit contains other metals of economic importance, such as REEs and other trace elements that are potential by-products.
The articles are available in our Publications section.
