On 6-7 of May 2024, a meeting took place at the headquarters of the Institute of Geology and Mining in Madrid (Instituto Geológico y Minero de España), in its role as the Spanish Geological Survey, between representatives of a team dedicated to the exploration of the ocean floor and the identification and recognition of polymetallic minerals, including primarily hydrothermal systems and associated massive sulphides, as well as cobalt-bearing intrusions occurring on seamounts and polymetallic concretions from abyssal plains.

The meeting was attended by IGME-SCIS experts, including: Professor Luis Somoza Losada, Deputy Director for Research of the Spanish Geological Survey, Dr. Terasa Medialdea Cela, Head of Marine Geology and Mapping, and Dr. Francisco Javier González, expert in marine critical raw materials and research techniques. National Research Institute -NRI was represented by dr Michał Tomczak, head of survey and research work at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Participants at the Madrid meeting. Fourth from the right - dr Michał Tomczak

As part of PGI-NRI's international cooperation with IGME on oceanic research and resource security, i.e. the identification of critical polymetallic minerals found in the eastern and mid-Atlantic area, PGI-NRI's recent achievements and discoveries in this area were discussed. IGME staff repeatedly emphasised the comprehensive scope and very high quality of the data acquired by Poland during the two cruises to date in the study area.

The plan to organise a joint research cruise into the Mid-Atlantic Ridge area in 2025 aboard the r/v Sarmiento de Gamboa was discussed, with the aim of hydroacoustic identification and chemical analysis of hydrothermal plumes, geological, biological and oceanographic sampling using the Portuguese ROV Luzo 6000, and multi-channel seismic profiling. The analysis of the material will be used, among other things, to determine the mineralogical and chemical characteristics of hydrothermal deposits and to analyse the role of microorganisms (bacteria and archaea) in the formation of biominerals under hydrothermal conditions.

Thanks to the unique data acquired by PGI-NRI and the discovery of two areas of the so-called Oceanic Core Complex (OCC) in the Polish area, together with a number of identified active and inactive hydrothermal structures, including accumulations of massive sulphides, it was decided to expand the area and scope of the planned work.

The development of international cooperation in deep-sea research would not have been possible without the growing role of Poland and the results of its work to date. Thanks to the established cooperation, the Institute will obtain unique research material from the ocean floor while minimising the costs of the planned work, enabling PGI-NRI staff to conduct advanced analyses. The obtained material will allow for a better understanding of the functioning of hydrothermal systems and specialized ecosystems, and the research will enable the implementation of subsequent provisions of the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the International Seabed Organization.

In order to strengthen working cooperation, the provisions of the planned cooperation agreement between PGI - NRI and IGME were discussed, enabling the internationalisation of research and the achievement of high quality research results.

Museum of the Instituto Geológico y Minero de España

Text: Michał Tomczak