How can you align sampling and assaying activities with global marine resource principles?

Sampling and assaying are essential activities for mining engineers who work with marine resources, such as offshore minerals, deep-sea nodules, or hydrothermal vents. These activities provide reliable data on the quantity and quality of the resources, as well as their environmental and social impacts. However, sampling and assaying in the marine environment pose many challenges, such as accessibility, variability, heterogeneity, and contamination. Therefore, it is important to align sampling and assaying activities with global marine resource principles, which aim to promote sustainable and responsible exploration and exploitation of the ocean. In this article, we will discuss how you can do that by following some key steps and guidelines.

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1 Define your objectives

The first step to align your sampling and assaying activities with global marine resource principles is to define your objectives clearly and realistically. What are you trying to achieve with your sampling and assaying program? What are the specific questions you want to answer? How will the data support your decision making and risk management? How will you communicate your results and findings to your stakeholders and the public? By defining your objectives, you can plan your sampling and assaying activities more efficiently and effectively, and avoid unnecessary or excessive sampling that could harm the marine environment or waste resources.

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Kelsey W.

Marine Biologist | Zoology/Animal Biology
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- I disagree with the remarks concerning unnecessary or excessive sampling in the context of sampling commercial fishing hauls. - In my experience the larger the sample the more robust the results. - Excessive sampling appears to be problematic for the stakeholders more so than the public eye. Larger samples taken more frequently are costly whereas small samples that are systematically randomly selected leave out bias but run the risk of excluding pertinent data dependent on the sample size.

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2 Design your sampling strategy

The next step is to design your sampling strategy, which involves selecting the appropriate sampling methods, locations, frequencies, and sizes for your objectives. You should consider the spatial and temporal variability of the marine resource, the environmental and geological conditions, the potential sources of bias and error, and the available equipment and technology. You should also follow the relevant standards and protocols for sampling marine resources, such as the ISO 20988:2018 or the ISA Technical Study 17. These standards and protocols provide guidance on how to ensure the quality, consistency, and comparability of your sampling data, as well as how to minimize the environmental impact of your sampling activities.

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Kelsey W.

Marine Biologist | Zoology/Animal Biology
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- I agree with this passage. Sampling should be consistent throughout your research period as you are likely going to be using the same sampling design throughout your study.

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3 Conduct your sampling operations

The third step is to conduct your sampling operations, which involves collecting, handling, storing, and transporting your samples from the marine environment to the laboratory or field station. You should follow the best practices and procedures for each type of sample, such as solids, liquids, gases, or biota, and use the appropriate tools and containers to preserve their integrity and representativeness. You should also document and label your samples carefully, and record any relevant information, such as the date, time, location, depth, weather, and personnel involved in the sampling operations. You should also implement quality control and assurance measures, such as blanks, duplicates, or reference materials, to check the accuracy and precision of your sampling operations.

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4 Perform your assaying analysis

The fourth step is to perform your assaying analysis, which involves determining the composition, concentration, or value of your samples using various analytical techniques, such as chemical, physical, mineralogical, or metallurgical methods. You should select the most suitable and reliable techniques for your objectives, and follow the established standards and protocols for assaying marine resources, such as the ISO 12743:2016 or the ISA Technical Study 18. These standards and protocols provide guidance on how to ensure the quality, consistency, and comparability of your assaying data, as well as how to minimize the environmental impact of your assaying activities.

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5 Interpret and report your results

The final step is to interpret and report your results, which involves analyzing, synthesizing, and presenting your sampling and assaying data in a clear, concise, and comprehensive manner. You should use appropriate statistical methods, graphical tools, and software to process and visualize your data, and identify any trends, patterns, anomalies, or uncertainties. You should also compare and contrast your results with other sources of information, such as previous studies, models, or databases, and discuss their implications and limitations. You should also follow the ethical and professional principles for reporting your results, such as honesty, transparency, objectivity, and confidentiality, and comply with the relevant regulations and requirements for disclosing your results to your stakeholders and the public.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Kelsey W.

Marine Biologist | Zoology/Animal Biology
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- my time spent observing for NOAA was in alignment with the sections provided above. From a broad perspective, I think that the outlined sections and the information included can be appropriately applied to the objective at hand

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How can you align sampling and assaying activities with global marine resource principles?

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3

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1 Define your objectives

2 Design your sampling strategy

3 Conduct your sampling operations

4 Perform your assaying analysis

5 Interpret and report your results

6 Here’s what else to consider

Mining Engineering

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How can you align sampling and assaying activities with global marine resource principles?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Define your objectives

2 Design your sampling strategy

3 Conduct your sampling operations

4 Perform your assaying analysis

5 Interpret and report your results

6 Here’s what else to consider

Mining Engineering

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