A 1,000-ton ship is exploring the far-flung South Pacific for riches buried beneath the waves, spearheading efforts to dredge the tropical waters for industrial deep-sea mining.
Fringed by sparkling lagoons and palm-shaded beaches, the Cook Islands has opened its vast ocean territory for mining exploration.
Research vessels roam the seas searching for deposits of battery metals, rare earths and critical minerals that litter the deep ocean's abyssal plains.
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