Stop Deep Sea Mining Before We Destroy the Ocean Forever

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Sponsor: Free The Ocean

The deep ocean protects our climate and marine life yet governments are being pushed to mine it before the damage is understood and once it is gone there is no way to bring it back

Stop Deep Sea Mining Before We Destroy the Ocean Forever

Far below the surface, the deep ocean stores carbon, regulates global climate, and supports ecosystems found nowhere else on Earth. These ecosystems evolved over millions of years in stable conditions that do not recover quickly from disruption — if they recover at all1.

Yet commercial deep-sea mining is moving closer to reality. Industrial machines designed to scrape, cut, or vacuum the seabed would permanently alter vast areas of the ocean floor, releasing sediment plumes, noise, and light into environments shaped by darkness and stillness3.

Pressure to Mine Is Outpacing Science

The International Seabed Authority (ISA), the body responsible for governing mining in international waters, is under pressure to approve commercial projects even though critical scientific gaps remain1. Scientists still lack baseline data needed to predict impacts or measure harm once mining begins5.

This urgency is not driven by necessity. Evidence shows that deep-sea minerals are not essential for the energy transition in the near term, and that recycling, reduced demand, and material innovation offer safer alternatives2.

The Climate Risks Are Real

The deep ocean is one of the planet’s largest carbon sinks. Disturbing seabed sediments risks releasing stored carbon back into the water column, weakening one of Earth’s most effective natural climate regulators3.

At a time of accelerating climate disruption, introducing a new industrial threat to the ocean is a gamble with global consequences.

The World Is Calling for a Pause

More than 37 countries — including France, the United Kingdom, and Norway — have already called for a moratorium or precautionary pause on deep-sea mining4. The European Parliament has formally urged global restraint, citing environmental risk and scientific uncertainty2.

World leaders at the United Nations Ocean Conference have echoed the same warning: once the deep sea is damaged, it cannot be restored within any meaningful human timeframe4.

The Choice Before Us

Deep-sea mining would industrialize one of the last intact ecosystems on the planet without proof it can be done safely. International law recognizes the deep seabed as the common heritage of humankind — not a resource to be rushed into exploitation5.

U.S. leadership matters. Congress and the ISA can choose precaution over haste, science over pressure, and long-term stability over irreversible damage.

Add your name to urge U.S. leaders and the International Seabed Authority to support a global moratorium on deep-sea mining. The deep ocean cannot speak for itself — but we can.

More on this issue:

  1. Pradeep A. Singh, Aline Jaeckel, Jeff A. Ardron, Ocean Development & International Law (26 January 2025), “A Pause or Moratorium for Deep Seabed Mining in the Area? The Legal Basis, Potential Pathways, and Possible Policy Implications.”
  2. SOA Team, Sustainable Ocean Alliance (7 February 2024), “European Parliament Calls for a Global Moratorium on the Deep-Sea Mining Industry.”
  3. ClientEarth, ClientEarth (n.d.), “What Is Deep-Sea Mining – and Why We Need a Global Moratorium Now.”
  4. Elizabeth Claire Alberts, Mongabay (11 June 2025), “‘Madness’: World Leaders Call for Deep-Sea Mining Moratorium at UN Ocean Summit.”
  5. The Pew Charitable Trusts, Pew (6 June 2025), “Why Deep-Seabed Mining Needs a Moratorium.”

The Petition

To Members of the United States Congress, and to the Council and Assembly of the International Seabed Authority,

We urge you to act now to protect the deep ocean from irreversible harm by supporting a global moratorium on commercial deep-sea mining.

The deep ocean is not an empty frontier. It is Earth’s largest ecosystem and one of its most important stabilizing forces. It stores vast amounts of carbon, regulates global climate, and sustains marine life that has evolved over millions of years. Damage to this system would not remain confined to the seafloor — it would ripple through the entire planet.

Yet the International Seabed Authority is under growing pressure to approve commercial deep-sea mining projects in international waters, even as scientific understanding of deep-ocean ecosystems remains dangerously incomplete. This pressure includes efforts by the United States to fast-track mining activity, both within national authority and beyond national jurisdiction.

More than 37 countries — including France, the United Kingdom, and Norway — have already recognized the risks and called for a moratorium or precautionary pause. Their position reflects a shared understanding: once deep-sea ecosystems are destroyed, they cannot be restored within any meaningful human timeframe.

Commercial deep-sea mining would involve heavy industrial machinery scraping or vacuuming the seabed, generating sediment plumes that can spread far beyond mining sites. These disturbances threaten slow-growing species, disrupt food webs, and introduce noise and light into environments shaped by permanent darkness. Scientists warn that such impacts may persist for centuries, if not permanently.

The risks extend to the global climate. Deep-sea sediments play a critical role in carbon storage. Disturbing them could release stored carbon, undermining climate mitigation efforts at a moment when the planet is already under severe stress.

We call on members of the United States Congress to publicly support a global moratorium on deep-sea mining and to align U.S. policy with the growing international consensus for precaution and restraint. We also call on the Council and Assembly of the International Seabed Authority to reject any new exploration or exploitation licenses until independent, peer-reviewed science demonstrates that mining can occur without causing lasting environmental harm.

Conservation and environmental protection must come before short-term economic gain. Proven alternatives exist, including improved recycling, reduced mineral demand, and innovation in material efficiency. These solutions meet human needs without sacrificing the deep ocean.

Choosing precaution now protects biodiversity, climate stability, and the interests of future generations. By acting responsibly, you can help ensure a healthy ocean — and a safer future for all.

Sincerely,

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