Chatham Looking Forward to Results of NIWA Ocean Study

Chatham Rock Phosphate (TSXV:NZP), advises shareholders that an ocean study by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) this week is particularly relevant to Chatham’s proposed marine phosphate recovery operation on the Chatham Rise.

NIWA has advised that one of the most challenging scientific underwater experiments it has ever attempted is taking place this month on the Chatham Rise. At least nine separate highly specialized pieces of equipment will be deployed from NIWA’s research vessel Tangaroa, in waters up to 500m deep.

As quoted from the press release:

The aim of the voyage is to disturb a small area of the seabed and create a sediment plume using the benthic disturber. The dispersal of the plume will then be monitored, and surveys before and after the disturbance will measure the effects on the seabed animals. The data collected will be used to build up a picture of how the biological communities on the seabed may be affected by the sediment stirred up by mining or bottom trawl fishing.

Uncertainty about the effects of sediment plumes has contributed to applications for seabed mining being declined and the plumes are also an environmental concern for sustainable fisheries certification.

“Clearly the outcomes of the disturbance research are incredibly relevant to our project in that they will provide real data on the behaviour and effect of plumes generated when the seafloor is disturbed (by any activity including dredging, mining and bottom trawling),” said  Chatham Rock Phosphate CEO, Chris Castle. “We have already spent very considerable sums modelling how the plumes will behave so we expect that this real data will further strengthen our ability to quantify these effects.”

Click here to read the entire press release