4 July 2011 Updated at 00:58 ET
Japan finds rare earths in Pacific seabed
The number of seabed mining applications is a growing focus for environmentalists' concern
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Japanese researchers say they have discovered vast deposits of rare earth minerals, used in many hi-tech appliances, in the seabed.
link-
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14009910
"...listed mining company Nautilus has the first licence to mine the floor of the Bismarck and Solomon oceans around Papua New Guinea."