On a previous R/V Polarstern cruise ANT-VIII/5 (1989/90), a deep-sea area in the central Weddell Sea was investigated along geophysical and bathymetrical transects. As a result, a seamount-like structure, the informally named "Polarstern Seamount", was detected. This seamount was one of the sampling areas during the ANT-IX/3 leg. Attempts were made to retrieve glaciomarine and hemipelagic sediments, which in this area were expected not to be so strongly affected by bottom currents as are the sediments in the deeper surroundings seas. The seafloor on top of the Polarstern Searnount revealed to be densely covered with Mn encrusted dropstones, as observed by the underwater video-recording obtained from a camera installed at the multi box corer (MG), as well as in the retrieved sediments.

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1989 NOAA-NCEI compiled the NOAA-MMS Marine Minerals Geochemical Database from journal articles, technical reports and unpublished sources from other institutions.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.