This cruise was undertaken as part of the CCOF/SOPAC Work Programme CCSP-1/CK-1 (Sea bed investigation for manganese nodules in oceanic areas adjoining Cook Islands), CCSP-1/CK-2 (Distribution and economic potential of submarine phosphate deposits in Cook Island waters), CCSP-1/CK-3 (Investigation for precious coral in the near shore waters surrounding the Cook Islands), and CCSP-1/CK-4 (Study of sediments and sedimentary processes of beach, lagoon and adjacent offshore areas of Rarotonga and other islands to assist with coastal management programmes). Manganese nodules were recovered in the Pacific Ocean from the Maniki Plateau and the South Penrhyn basin areas. These samples were analysed using atomic absorption analysis (AAS) by the Australian Mineral Development Laboratory.

From 1983 until 1989 NOAA-NCEI compiled the NOAA-MMS Marine Minerals Geochemical Database from journal articles, technical reports and unpublished sources from other institutions. At the time it was the most extended data compilation on ferromanganese deposits world wide. Initially published in a proprietary format incompatible with present day standards it was jointly decided by AWI and NOAA to transcribe this legacy data into PANGAEA. This transfer is augmented by a careful checking of the original sources when available and the encoding of ancillary information (sample description, method of analysis...) not present in the NOAA-MMS database.This dataset represents the digitized Addendum 1 of the related publication.