Deep sea mining News

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Humpback whales in Western Australia. Image courtesy of Emilie Ledwidge/Ocean Image Bank.

World Oceans Day: Scientists find new clues about frontiers of ocean life

Mongabay.com 6 Jun 2025
Two lithodid crabs exhibiting mating behavior while perched on top of a basaltic rocky outcrop with an anemone (Liponema sp.) and a white sponge in the background.

Only a tiny % of the deep seafloor has ever been visually observed: Study

Edward Carver 30 May 2025

Mining companies use legal loopholes to move forward without environmental licensing off the Brazilian coast

Maurício Angelo, Lúcio Lambranho 30 May 2025
A glass octopus, a nearly transparent species whose only visible features are its optic nerve, eyeballs and digestive tract.

The Metals Company applied to the U.S. for a deep-sea mining license

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 30 Apr 2025

Trump moves to begin deep-sea mining despite environmental and legal concerns

Bobby Bascomb 25 Apr 2025
A squat lobster in the deep sea.

With deep-sea mining plans in limbo, Norwegian companies fold or dig in

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 22 Apr 2025
Banner image of deep-sea corals on the ocean floor via NOAA (Public domain).

Global seabed regulator concerned by mining company’s unilateral actions

Kristine Sabillo 2 Apr 2025
Greenpeace activists from New Zealand and Mexico confront TMC’s deep-sea mining vessel, “Hidden Gem,” off the coast of Manzanillo, Mexico, in 2022. Image by © Gustavo Graf / Greenpeace.

Deep-sea miner TMC seeks U.S. approval, potentially bypassing global regulator

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 28 Mar 2025
A new species of critically endangered guitar shark was identified off the coast of Tanzania. Image courtesy of The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census/Sergey Bogorodsky.

Scientists identify more than 800 new species in global Ocean Census

Shanna Hanbury 11 Mar 2025
A moray eel in the coral reefs of the Daymaniyat Islands, Oman.

2024’s top ocean news stories (commentary)

Alfredo Giron, Ana K. Spalding, Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor, Asha de Vos, Cinda P. Scott, Josheena Naggea, Juan José Alava, Olivia Milloway, Rita Maria el Zaghloul 8 Jan 2025
Narwhal image by Газпром нефть via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

We need a North Pole Marine Reserve to secure a healthy future for Arctic waters (commentary)

Dr. Graeme Chesters 6 Jan 2025

Norway kills first round of Arctic deep-sea mining permits amid opposition

Shanna Hanbury 3 Dec 2024
A coral reef in the shallow waters of the Andaman Sea.

India advances deep-sea mining technology in the Andaman Sea

Priyanka Shankar 21 Nov 2024
An orca in Skjervøy, Norway.

Norway poised to sail past opposition with deep-sea mining licensing plans

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 7 Oct 2024
Clown fish in anemone

The ocean ‘belongs to all of us’: Interview with Palau President Whipps

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 5 Sep 2024
A school of barracuda in Papua New Guinea.

Not merely ‘exploration’: PNG deep-sea mining riles critics & surprises officials

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 2 Sep 2024
Leticia Carvalho

Brazil’s Carvalho to lead seabed-mining authority following predecessor’s controversial term

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 3 Aug 2024

Oxygen made by metal redefines scientific understanding

Bobby Bascomb 24 Jul 2024
Leticia Carvalho

‘Trust needs to be rebuilt’: Interview with candidate to head U.N. seabed-mining authority

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 4 Jul 2024
A brooding squid (Gonatus onyx) and her egg sack.

Deep-sea mining’s future still murky as negotiations end on mixed note

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 2 Apr 2024
Deep-sea mining equipment aboard the D/V Chikyu. Image courtesy of JAMSTEC.

Japan prepares to mine its deep seabed by decade’s end

Annelise Giseburt 21 Mar 2024
The helmet jellyfish (Periphylla periphylla) collected with a remotely operated vehicle in the North Pacific Ocean.

Communities worry anew as PNG revives seabed mining plans

John Cannon 20 Mar 2024
Jonathan Mesulam

PNG communities resist seabed mining: Interview with activist Jonathan Mesulam

John Cannon 1 Mar 2024
An underwater view of the reef at Layang Layang Atoll in the Spratly Islands, South China Sea. Photo courtesy of Greg Asner / Divephoto.org.

‘High Seas Treaty’ name is inaccurate and should center biodiversity (commentary)

Elizabeth Mendenhall, Fuad Bateh 19 Feb 2024
A bearded seal in Svalbard.

EU parliament expresses disapproval of Norway’s deep-sea mining plans

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 8 Feb 2024
A coral reef and its residents in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Image ©Greg Asner/divephoto.org.

2023’s top ocean news stories (commentary)

Ana Spalding, David Obura, Diva Amon, Minna Epps, Rhett Bennett, U. Rashid Sumaila 16 Jan 2024
Tail of sperm whale in Norway

‘Really a sad day’ as Norway votes to allow deep-sea mining in Arctic waters

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 9 Jan 2024

In reversal, Mexico calls for moratorium on international deep-sea mining

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 28 Nov 2023

‘Very good progress’ but nothing firm as deep-sea mining rules are hashed out

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 10 Nov 2023
An area of biodiversity (including corals, crustaceans, urchins, anemones, and more) on Cacho De Coral, a newly discovered pristine coral reef.

Galápagos waters yield massive deepwater corals in latest biodiversity find

Elizabeth Claire Alberts 7 Nov 2023

Pacific alliance adopts moratorium on deep-sea mining, halting resurgent PNG project

John Cannon 6 Sep 2023
Kono village chief Chris Magalan speaks to his community members about the Solwara 1 project in New Ireland province.

Deep-sea mining project in PNG resurfaces despite community opposition

John Cannon 18 Aug 2023

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