Governments worldwide have long been exploring the potential of deep-sea mining, an activity that could help secure the supply of several critical minerals. However, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has been skeptical about conducting mining activities in such a sensitive environment, as it is difficult to know what the full implications of disrupting life on the seabed might be.
As the global demand for critical minerals continues to grow, several governments, including that of the United States, hope to pursue deep-sea mining to secure their energy security, putting increasing pressure on the ISA to publish clear international regulations for mining.
The role of the International Seabed Authority
The ISA is an autonomous international organization, established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and operational since 1996, whose role is to organize and control all mineral-resources-related activities in the convention’s area for the benefit of humankind. The “Area” covers around 54% of the total area of the world’s oceans.
The ISA’s mandate is to ensure the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed-related activities. The organization has 172 Members, including 171 member states and the European Union. The United States has not ratified the UNCLOS, but has observer status at the ISA’s deliberations and, until recently, followed its standards.
What is Deep-Sea Mining?
The seabed contains vast quantities of large mineral nodules, including manganese, nickel, copper, cobalt, and trace amounts of rare minerals. Deep-sea mining is the practice of exploiting mineral deposits from the deep seabed by using large, robotic machinery on the seafloor to collect mineral deposits, which are then pumped to a support vessel on the surface for processing.
However, a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that deep-sea mining poses significant direct and indirect risks to fragile submarine ecosystems, with potential impacts on biodiversity, fisheries, water quality, and other connected ecological systems, according to the ISA.
ISA Regulations on Deep-Sea Mining
In recent years, pressure has increased for the ISA to establish international regulations on seabed mining, also known as deep-sea mining, as more governments explore the possibility of launching mining operations. Establishing regulations is key to ensuring the greatest possible protection of the seabed, based on expert advice, in the event of mining.
However, several global powers, particularly the governments of island nations that are vulnerable to climate change, continue to call for a total ban on seabed mining due to the fear of irreparable damage to marine ecosystems.
“The deep seabed needs rules and regulations – it also needs leadership, solidarity and science,” ISA Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho said in response to states showing greater interest in launching mining operations.
After around a decade of debate, the ISA is expected to publish a rule book on deep-sea mining by the end of the year, according to Carvalho. The accelerated pace of regulation development comes in response to threats by the U.S. Trump administration, which has said it may start unilaterally issuing permits for seabed mining in international waters, which are not in the domain of any single country.
“The world agreed 30 years ago that this is an area that belongs to all of us, and we should go there collectively,” Carvalho said. However, in the most recent meeting of the ISA, the group failed to come to a consensus on deep-sea mining once again.
The Trump Administration’s Deep-Sea Mining Push
Since coming into office in January 2025, President Trump has been fighting to begin mining operations under the sea, to secure the United States’ supply of critical minerals, despite no clear international guidance available on the practice. Regulators in the United States are currently considering applications from mining firms, such as The Metals Company, which are interested in commencing operations.
The Metals Company has invested $250 million in environmental studies to better understand the impact of seabed mining. In December, the firm published a study based on its findings from a deep-sea mining pilot project. Researchers from London’s Natural History Museum analyzed samples from the seafloor, at 4,000 meters under the sea in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, before and after conducting a mining test. They found that the number of animals in the path of the mining vehicle decreased by 37%, while the variety of creatures fell by 32%.
Despite the ongoing uncertainties surrounding deep-sea mining, Trump announced in January that he would be accelerating permitting for companies looking to conduct seabed mining activities.
Then, in March, the Japanese government announced that it would be supporting the United States in its plan to carry out deep-sea mining – without international support – following the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between the two countries. Japan and the United States have agreed to establish a working group to share research and insights on seabed mining.
With no consensus on international deep-sea sea mining, an increasing number of governments are threatening to take the decision into their own hands, by conducting research at the national level and potentially commencing mining operations without ISA permission.
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