Why America Must Take the Lead-Responsibly-in the Future of Deep Sea Mining

Introduction:

As the world around us keeps advancing into an age of further technological advancements, the scarcity of rare earth minerals, and critical metals is becoming evermore obvious. The demand in recent decades has exploded, driven by the need for clean energy, semiconductors, and even newer defense technology. The use of these resources is imperative for everyday life, from technology such as laptops, phones, and car batteries to construction, clean energy production, and the development of new tech. These metals are critical, yet in our current state, most of this supply is controlled by one singular nation; China. Mining these metals from the abyss down under will reduce the bottleneck currently present. The United States needs to play a new role in leading the charge into deep sea mining—not to dominate the industry, but rather to serve as the protector of responsible, transparent, and environmentally friendly mining as this industry starts to emerge.

The Global Stakes of Deep Sea Mining:

As stated prior, the demand for these resources is higher than ever before, as emerging technology and global advancements necessitate more and more of them. Take cobalt: it is used in everyday applications, but is primarily directed toward lithium-ion batteries—about 71% of global cobalt demand now comes from batteries [1]. Last year alone, the world burned through an estimated 200,000 tonnes of cobalt, marking a 14% jump from the year prior [2]. That is the same cobalt powering the phone you might be reading this article on.

And these numbers are not expected to drop: The IEA predicts cobalt demand will surge to 344,000 tonnes by 2030, leaving a massive gap in supply [3]. The issue is that our current means of extracting these resources will not be enough to meet future needs.

Most of the global cobalt supply comes from mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Even one of the largest operations—the Tenke Fungurume complex—contributes only a fraction of what is needed. Meeting the future cobalt demand will require a significant increase in mining capacity worldwide, comparable to several new large-scale mining operations similar in output to Tenke Fungurume, as in 2024 it produced an approximate 55,000 tonnes of cobalt. .time-consuming to develop. That is not even considering the environmental toll. For instance, forests are wiped out to access these materials, causing habitat destruction and biodiversity loss.

The message is clear: a better way must be found to secure these resources. And this is just cobalt. There are a plethora of other issues dealing with supply for the other metals found in polymetallic nodules: nickel, copper, manganese, and heavy rare earth elements. Instead of building countless land-based mines to extract them separately, mining polymetallic nodules could tackle five supply challenges at once; not a bad trade-off for the investment.

Why U.S Leadership is Essential:

While the amount of metals being extracted is a problem, it is only one part of a much bigger picture: the reliance the United States has on foreign imports to meet that demand. Right now, the U.S. imports 100% of the cobalt and manganese it uses—both of which are found in large amounts in polymetallic nodules [4]. With that kind of dependency, the U.S. is wide open to supply chain disruptions, especially since a huge portion of these materials comes from China, as mentioned earlier. And even when the minerals are not mined there, around 70% of cobalt is still processed in Chinese facilities [3].

But there is another option here: the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ). The CCZ is about 4.5 million square kilometers in size, as it covers a vast amount of sea between Hawaii and Mexico. The important fact though is that it has an enormous supply of these nodules. Based on current estimates, there is about 6 million tonnes of cobalt in the CCZ. And that is just one metal. There is also around 15 million tonnes of nickel, 250 million tonnes of manganese, and over 30 million tonnes of copper [4][5][6]. At the rate we are going through cobalt, that is enough for about 30 years. Add in the other metals, and the zone is worth over $1 trillion.

Deep sea mining is not easy. But it is possible. The U.S. already leads in areas like underwater robotics, ROV tech, and military undersea ops due to possessing the largest navy in the world. The capability for the U.S. to lead the dive is there. And while some argue that international treaties could get in the way, the U.S. has not signed UNCLOS (The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). Instead, it follows its own legal path and is already planning to issue exploration licenses. With this, we can lead the charge into the deep.

Responsible Leadership; The Only Way Forward:

While leading the charge into the deep is essential, other factors must be taken into account when discussing this dilemma—chief among them is ensuring there is a responsible and environmentally conscious way to proceed. Accomplishing such a feat will not be easy, but by prioritizing environmental safeguards, data transparency, and global cooperation, it can be done.

One of the first steps in fulfilling this goal is to continue mapping CCZ, as currently only around 20% of it has been mapped [7]. Due to such a low portion being charted, we remain largely unaware of the ecology and ecosystems present in the area. Over 90% of species found in nodule fields are unknown to science [8]. We cannot protect what we do not yet know exists, nor can we ensure sustainable extraction if we haven’t studied the region in full.

Another crucial task is ensuring transparency. If the U.S. leads the charge, it has the opportunity to set the gold standard for how deep-sea mining should be conducted—and how the data should be shared. Should seabed mining move forward, it must be done openly, with open-access ecological data, third-party environmental audits, and real-time monitoring through robotics or AI systems.

Speed is heavily sought in this field. Fast recovery, fast development, fast permits—yet this is not the optimal approach for something we understand so little about. Currently, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is under pressure to finalize its treaty to begin approving companies. Still, many leading institutions, including MIT, WHOI, and the IUCN, have called for a precautionary pause as we still do not fully understand the abyssal plain.

Leadership in this field does not mean being the first. Its true significance lies in balancing innovation with restraint. The U.S. does not have to act alone; instead, it can form alliances with fellow nations, sharing data and helping to establish an international framework. Rather than dominating the seabed, the U.S. can define how it is shared—fairly and responsibly.

Noble Deep aims to lead this monumental task. Its foundation is rooted in science, low-impact recovery, and transparency through environmental modeling and advanced technology. Noble Deep is positioned to be the right company for the job—technologically advanced, ecologically aware, and guided by long-term responsibility rather than short-term gain, because a 2023 study estimated that full-scale deep-sea mining without any sort of environmental safeguards could disrupt up to 30% of abyssal diversity in the affected regions [9]. So while the lure of immediate gain will always be strong, Noble Deep is committed to pursuing its goals with the utmost care.

Conclusion:

As the consumption of critical minerals continues to grow, the question is no longer will deep sea mining occur, but when, along with who will lead the charge and how they will set the standards to do so. With Noble Deep’s visionary leadership and values centered on being responsible, the U.S. can lead not only the extraction of these nodules, but also ensure ethics and global cooperation for securing these much needed minerals.

Footnotes

[1] Cobalt Institute, The Cobalt Market Report 2025

[2] Cobalt Institute, Cobalt Market Report 2024

[3] International Energy Agency (IEA), The Role of Critical Minerals in Clean Energy Transitions, 2021

[4] United States Geological Survey (USGS), Mineral Commodity Summaries 2024

[5] International Seabed Authority (ISA), ISA Exploration Contracts and Resources, 2023

[6] DeepGreen Metals, Environmental and Social Impact Statement for Nauru Ocean Resources Inc., 2023

[7] ISA & Nature Ecology & Evolution, Biodiversity in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, 2023

[8] Smith, Craig R., et al., Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 2020

[9] Vanreusel, Ann, et al., Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 2023