Yasuhiro Kato, an associate professor of earth science at the University of Tokyo, looks at a mud sample extracted from the Pacific ocean surface where rare earth elements were found, during a photo opportunity at his laboratory in Tokyo July 5, 2011. Vast deposits of rare earth minerals, crucial in making high-tech electronics products, have been found on the floor of the Pacific Ocean and can be readily extracted, Japanese scientists said on Monday. REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao (JAPAN - Tags: ENVIRONMENT BUSINESS)