The International Seabed Authority (ISA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea (MOMAF) and the National Marine Biodiversity Institute of Korea (MABIK), will convene an online workshop on Enhancing Image-based Biodiversity Assessments to Advance Deep-Sea Taxonomy via the Microsoft Teams platform from 12 to 14 October 2021. The workshop will be conducted in two separate sessions:

• Technical meeting for invited experts: Tuesday, 12 to Wednesday, 13 October 2021
• Open meeting for registered participants: Thursday, 14 October 2021

Applications are now open for seven (7) training opportunities for candidates from developing States Members of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The placements are provided by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation, in accordance with its obligations under its contracts for exploration for polymetallic sulphides (PMS) and for cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts (CFC) in the Area. 

The deadline for applications for three scholarships to attend the University of the Pacific campus in Fiji provided by Marawa Research and Exploration Ltd (Marawa) and Nauru Ocean Resources Inc (NORI) as well as for an at-sea engineering training opportunity provided by NORI has been extended to 27 September instead of 5 July and 16 June 2021, respectively.

The Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) finalized on 20 July 2021 the selection of the five candidates from developing States Members of ISA who will benefit from a training opportunity provided by the Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (Ifremer) in accordance with its obligations under its contract with ISA for the exploration for polymetallic nodules in the Area.

The Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) finalized on 20 July 2021 the selection of candidates for two environmental at-sea training opportunities provided by Tonga Offshore Mining Limited (TOML) in accordance with its obligations under its exploration contracts for polymetallic nodules with ISA.

On 20 July 2021, the Legal and Technical Commission of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) confirmed the selection of candidates for two at-sea training opportunities provided by the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources of the Federal Republic of Germany (BGR) in accordance with its obligations under its exploration contracts for polymetallic nodules with ISA.

Applications are now open for 14 online training opportunities for candidates from developing States Members of the International Seabed Authority (ISA). The placements are provided by China Ocean Mineral Resources R & D Association (COMRA), in accordance with its obligations under its contracts with ISA for exploration for polymetallic nodules (10 placements) and polymetallic sulphides (4 placements) in the Area.