On Feb. 23, 2026, BOEM announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to update rules for offshore hard minerals, clarifying or streamlining provisions related to prospecting, leasing, and operations opening opening a 60-day public comment period that will run until April 27, 2026.

Summary of main opposition points

  1. Most countries in the world have signed a moratorium on deep sea mining.
  2. Deep sea mining is not needed because of newer, safer battery chemistry and recycling.
  3. Ecological damage would be catastrophic and accelerate climate change.

Here is the direct link for comments – open until Apr 27, 2026

There are now 83 countries that have ratified it, though the United States has not. Countries that have ratified the treaty have pledged to cooperate and uphold its terms, but options for enforcing such international laws are limited.

Extract from this international report

The science is unequivocal: deep-sea mining would cause irreversible damage to fragile ecosystems that have evolved over millions of years. Recovery, if it occurs at all, would take centuries to millennia. For these reasons, deep-sea mining is incompatible with international commitments to protect ocean health and tackle threats to biodiversity and the climate crisis.

BOEM (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) claims

Offshore critical minerals are hard minerals that are in limited supply and that are essential to U.S. economic and national security. Critical minerals include nickel, cobalt, lithium, manganese, and rare earth elements. Uses for critical minerals include consumer electronics, energy production, healthcare, transportation, and defense.

For about more than 10 years, NMC (Nickel-Manganese-Cobalt) batteries have been produced in large quantities. However, they are prone to thermal runaway, which triggered the massive Moss Landing battery fire in 2025. New regulations ban NMC and require LFP Lithium-Iron-Phosphate batteries which are much safer and also last longer.  Details here

Already there are recycling facilities for NMC batteries. So less NMC will be needed in the future and what is needed can be supplied by recycling. Info here

Therefore, we don’t desperately need these minerals!

New research has shown that deep sea mining will disrupt ocean carbon cycling and accelerate global warming. Details in this 13 minute video

This map shows that areas within our marine sanctuaries are threatened

Threatened areas include the Davidson Seamount

Many wonderful creatures are still being discovered in this area

Deep Sea mining would cause problems through the entire water column and food web.

Links to detailed articles:

APnews

New York Times on deep sea mining 
Video on recent science discoveries 14min about the dangers of deep sea mining

The Octopus Garden is a recently discovered octopus nursery within our marine sanctuary

Short time lapse video – play at .5 speed – 2mins

5min – Excellent details about the 

Octopus Garden from MBARI