The Department of Geology and Mineral Resources of the World Ocean conducts research and exploration work in three sectoral areas (FMC, KMC, DPS) under the Contracts with the International Seabed Authority (ISA) of the United Nations; successfully develops the scientific and methodological basis of geological exploration in deep ocean areas; studies the composition, geochemistry and mineralogy of oceanic ores, the conditions of their occurrence, the distribution features; seeks to build a theory of oceanic ore genesis. The Department for the diversity of directions and the sequence of studying geology and TPI of the World Ocean does not have precedents in the World practice. In its composition there are specialists of geological-tectonic, geomorphological, lithological profile; ore mineralogy-geochemical group, specialists in the field of development of methods and techniques of geological exploration, ecology and geological and economic assessment of oceanic mineral raw materials.

Data resources

• Direct communication with oceanic expeditions conducted by the production organizations of JSC "Yuzhmorgeologiya" (Gelendzhik) and JSC ""Polar Marine Geosurvey Expedition" (PMGE),  (Lomonosov) on FMC, KMC and DPS.;
• Data base "Ocean geological resources", created in the sector of information and analytical support of ocean mineralogical research;

The data base "Ocean geological resources" is based on information on the geology and mineral resources of the World Ocean, accumulated in the department from 1984 to the present. The array of source data covers the Solid Mineral Resources of the World Ocean.
The database also includes all available information on phosphates, barium sulphates, gas hydrates, Fe-Mn-crusts and metal bearing bottom sediments. A separate section of the bank covers shelf placers of the Far Eastern seas. The database is relational and works in the Microsoft Access 2007 environment.
The database includes the following main data sets that characterize the geological and geophysical study of the World Ocean:

• stations for geological sampling (coordinates, depth of the ocean, morphostructural and geological-tectonic position of geological sampling stations with data on the composition and features of peculiarities of oceanic ore occurrences);
• the quantitative composition of the mineral deposit (coverage area, average thickness, weight of the lifted material, weight and area density)текст;
• individual samples (chemical composition, analysis methods, layer, sampling interval, material-genetic type, source of information).
  

Based on the database "Ocean geological resources", a set of maps for the solid mineral deposits of the World Ocean, as well as non-traditional types of minerals, was created in the GIS format.

    In order to assess the features of the geological structure of the ore accumulations of deep-sea polymetallic sulphide and the state of the environment of the Russian exploration area of ​​the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in accordance with the requirements of International Seabed Authority of the United Nations, a data bank "Deep sea polymetallic sulphide -Russian Exploration Area" was developed. It includes an information database, database directories, a database management system, a library of queries and application programs. The database is relational and works in the Microsoft Access 2007.