JOGMECCRFC12018 Env Template HK17-01 phyto

Sampling data captured in Oceanic Exploration Research JOGMEC has implemented the following work as crust exploration activities during 2018: (1) Exploration work During 2018, two surveys were conducted on the R/V Hakurei in the exploration area. Multi Beam Echo Sounder (MBES) acoustic survey, Benthic Multi-coring System (BMS) drilling, Arm-bolted Rock Dredge (AD) rock sampling were carried out for resource evaluation. The first survey targeted the JA04 Seamount, JA06 Seamount (aka the Xufu Guyot), the JA12 Seamount (aka the Zhinyu Guyot) and the JA17 Seamount (aka the Scripps Guyot). The period of the first survey was from 5 April to 5 May (31 days). The second survey targeted the JA02 Seamount (aka the Lamont Guyot), the JA04 Seamount and the JA06 Seamount. The period of second survey was from 11 May to 11 June (32 days). High-resolution bathymetry data of the JA04 and JA12 Seamounts, 84 drilling cores in 31 blocks and 394 kg of rock samples were acquired during the exploration survey in 2018. Chemical analysis for resource evaluation and lithofacies similarity analysis to compare characteristics of crust ores were carried out on drilling core samples. Moreover, statistical analysis between acoustic backscattering strength and seafloor observation was carried out to evaluate the distribution of crust ores on seamounts in the exploration area.