Now, the legacy of all that research and exploration is the growing likelihood of large-scale mining operations, fuelled by rising mineral prices, in many parts of the ocean in the coming decades.

BBC: UK Seabed Resources joins deep-ocean mineral-mining rush

And some additional, much less happy news from Australia, as Unesco and environmentalists warn that climate change and large-scale coal mining may lead to the wholesale destruction of the Great Barrier Reef.

BBC: In brief: Unearthing Australia's secret history

De Beers is active in every category of industrial diamond mining: open-pit, underground, large-scale alluvial, coastal and deep sea.

FORBES: Anglo American Receives Final Regulatory Approval for De Beers Acquisition