What Happened?
Ever wondered what lies on the ocean floor just off the U.S. coast, and who gets to profit from it? The Trump administration is rapidly advancing seabed mining off U.S. coasts for critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel, and manganese. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) published a report on Aug. 28 on recent developments in seabed mining on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 24, 2025, directing the Interior Department to identify critical minerals on the seabed and set up a faster leasing review. The Department of the Interior merged two agencies into a new Marine Minerals Administration to carry out that work.
Four potential lease sales are now in motion. A proposed sale near American Samoa is scheduled for Nov. 19, 2026, and a second near the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands is set for Dec. 16, 2026. No leases have been issued yet.
Why Does it Matter to Me?
The minerals targeted include cobalt, nickel, manganese, and rare earth elements. The U.S. currently lacks domestic processing facilities for seabed-extracted minerals.
Both Sides, Now
Some in Congress want to accelerate the effort: H.R. 3803 would write Executive Order 14285 into law, while H.R. 4018 and S. 2860 would require specific actions on parts of the order.
Some lawmakers want to prohibit or pause seabed mining, and H.R. 664 would bar the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management from hardrock mineral leasing on the Outer Continental Shelf, while H.R. 663 would bar the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from issuing exploration licenses.
Researchers studying a simulated mining disturbance in the Peru Basin found that 26 years later, carbon flow through seafloor life remained 56 percent lower inside the disturbed tracks than outside them, according to Biogeosciences. A Science Advances study of the same site found the plough tracks were still visible and ecosystem processes remained affected after 26 years.
The push for faster leasing still has to meet existing legal requirements, including mandatory consultation with coastal states and territories and environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act.
What Happens Next?
BOEM has proposed a lease sale for American Samoa on Nov. 19, and its proposed leasing notice for the Northern Mariana Islands sets a sale date of Dec. 16. Congress faces competing bills: some would codify the executive order, while others would prohibit or block seabed mining.
Will Congress act before the first lease sales are held, and can the U.S. build the onshore processing capacity needed to turn any mined minerals into finished products?
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