Stop Harmful Seabed Mining in U.S. and Global Waters
Surfrider is urging federal leaders to protect U.S. waters and to support a moratorium in international waters
The Trump administration has issued an executive order to fast-track approvals for deep-sea mining in both U.S. federal waters and international waters. The order directs relevant agencies to expedite permitting for seabed mineral exploration, mining, and monitoring. This action contradicts the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the International Seabed Authority, and poses serious geopolitical risk.
The Department of Interior is currently streamlining the project approval process for all U.S. waters. The agency has also targeted American Samoa as its first region for seabed mining development despite unified opposition from the American Samoa Government. At the international level, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is proposing weaker regulations for U.S. companies to mine in global waters. Alarmingly, there’s still no regulatory framework for seabed mining in international waters, but the International Seabed Authority is currently developing regulations and a process for environmental review.
Take Action: Submit Comments to NOAA
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is requesting public input until September 5, 2025 on its proposal to weaken regulations for U.S. companies to conduct deep-sea mining in international waters.
Surfrider urges members of the public to submit comments to NOAA in opposition to its proposed rule on seabed mining .
To submit your comments, please visit the Federal Comment Portal and follow the instructions provided!
Sample points to highlight in your comments:
- I submit these comments in strong opposition to NOAA’s proposed revisions to DSHMRA (Docket NOAA-NOS-2025-0108): I don't support this proposal for the following reasons:
- This proposal is reckless and unnecessary: It prioritizes short-term industry gain over the long-term health of the ocean.
- Combined exploration and recovery permits: Allowing a single application bypasses a critical exploration phase needed to establish environmental baselines and conduct full reviews, bypassing transparency.
- Risks to fragile ecosystems: The deep sea is the Earth’s least explored ecosystem, incredibly fragile, and home to unique and undiscovered species. The Deep sea is remarkably biodiverse and provides vital services like carbon storage and nutrient cycling. Mining scars, such as those on the Blake Plateau, show no recovery even after 50 years.
- Commercial fishing economic impact: Deep Sea Mining has widespread impacts all the way to the ocean surface and could impact important coastal industries and commercial fisheries such as the $5.5B Pacific tuna industry.
- Conflict with international law: The proposal undermines the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and disregards the International Seabed Authority’s ongoing regulatory process. Ignoring these frameworks reduces the United States’ ability to enforce compliance on issues such as illegal fishing and maritime navigation.
- This proposal goes against widespread opposition: 37 countries, 65+ corporations, 37 financial institutions, and over 940 marine scientists have called for a moratorium, citing environmental destruction and economic uncertainty. Nearly all U.S. Pacific states and territories (California, Washington, Oregon, Hawai‘i, American Samoa, and Guam) have restricted or banned deep-sea mining.
- High cost, low return: Technology is untested and unproven. Past failures like Nautilus Minerals in Papua New Guinea left taxpayers with over $100M in losses. U.S. taxpayers should not bear this burden.
- Sustainable alternatives exist: The U.S. should invest in more responsible and innovative mineral pathways, not lead a destructive ‘gold rush’.
NOAA will also be holding virtual public hearings on September 3 and 4:
To register for the September 3, 2025 hearing, use the following link: https://noaabroadcast.adobeconnect.com/e64l9m25orba/event/event_info.html.To register for the September 4, 2025 hearing, use the following link: https://noaabroadcast.adobeconnect.com/em945xdnvk15/event/registration.html
Seabed mineral extraction, or seabed mining as it's more commonly known, involves industrial-scale prospecting for metals and other minerals along the ocean floor. Such activity may damage habitats that nurture commercially and recreationally important fish. Seabed mining also creates sediment clouds that can smother or negatively impact the feeding and reproduction of other marine life, including plankton, groundfish, salmon, and forage fish. These sediment clouds, and associated noise, may also negatively impact whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals.
Take Action: Contact Your Congressional Representatives
Surfrider Foundation is urging Congress and the Trump administration to oppose harmful seabed mining. We call on federal leaders to stop proposed seabed mining off American Samoa and other U.S. waters, and to support a moratorium on deep-sea mining in International waters until the International Seabed Authority (ISA) develops a suitable regulatory framework.
We also call on Congress to pass legislation to prevent harmful seabed mining. Surfrider has endorsed the American Seabed Protection Act (H.R. 664) to place a moratorium on mineral extraction in U.S. waters and to direct federal agencies to assess how mining activities could affect ocean species, carbon sequestration , and communities who depend on the ocean; and the International Seabed Protection Act (H.R. 663) to require the U.S to oppose international seabed mining efforts until the ISA has adopted a suitable regulatory framework.
Our deep ocean and seabed are the last unexplored regions of our world, yet what we do know of them is that they are among our most intricate and fragile. Some of the oldest living coral species are found in the deep sea, and around one million marine species may inhabit the deep sea, a massive and interrelated complex of biodiversity seen nowhere else on the planet. In addition, the deep ocean is one of our planet’s largest and most important stores of carbon and likely plays a critical role in the fight against climate change.
It is imperative we protect our fragile, economically important, and culturally valuable oceans from the severe risks of seabed mining by imposing moratoria on mining unless and until its consequences are understood and an appropriate protective regulatory regime is established both within and beyond US national waters.
Please contact your federal representatives to stop harmful seabed mining!