A newly-proposed mining plan threatens to destroy deep sea ecosystems before we ever get the chance to learn more about them. We shouldn't mine the deep sea at all -- and definitely not without understanding all the risks. TAKE ACTION:
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John,

Sea creatures wilder and more wonderful than we can imagine make their homes far beneath the ocean surface. Scientists have barely begun to learn about the fragile, complex ecosystems of the sea floor.

But the Interior Department may soon allow mining across a vast stretch of the seafloor beneath U.S. waters.[1] This plan threatens to destroy deep sea ecosystems before we ever get the chance to learn more about them.

We only have until July 16 to stop destructive mining before it starts. Add your name to oppose deep sea mining today.
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We have better maps of the surface of the moon than we do of the deep sea.[2] The deep ocean is a truly remote and wild place -- one that we should be working to understand better, not exploiting for minerals.

Mining equipment could render the seafloor unrecognizable. Many of the species that live in the depths are long-lived and slow-growing. It could take decades or centuries for them to recover after their habitat is disturbed by deep-sea mining -- if they ever do.[3]

In addition to tearing up the seabed, some forms of deep sea mining also release plumes of debris and sediment. This waste may travel huge distances from mining sites, which could have wide-ranging impacts on other ocean ecosystems.[4]

Deep sea mining is destructive and unnecessary. Take action to stop this deep sea mining project before it starts.
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The current push to mine the deep sea is fueled by the desire for "critical minerals" like lithium, cobalt, nickel, copper and rare earth elements. But the fact is, we don't need deep-sea mining to get all the critical minerals we need.

The world currently throws away more of some critical minerals than would likely be supplied annually by a proposed ramp-up of deep sea mining in the central Pacific over the next decade.[5] By simply recycling more e-waste, we could get all the minerals we need and leave the seafloor alone.

We know so little about the deep sea. The life in the depths is ancient and precious. The fact is, we shouldn't mine there at all -- and definitely not without understanding all the risks.

Protect deep sea ecosystems from destruction by adding your name to oppose this mining proposal today.
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Thank you,

The team at Environment Colorado Research & Policy Center

1. "Interior Launches Process for Potential Offshore Mineral Lease Sale Near American Samoa," U.S. Department of the Interior, May 20, 2025.
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2. "Seamounts and Abyssal Hills Mapped From Space," Earth Observatory, April 21, 2025.
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3. Kelsey Lamp, Nathan Proctor, Tony Dutzik and James Horrox, "We don't need deep-sea mining," Environment America Research & Policy Center, June 18, 2024.
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4. Kelsey Lamp, Nathan Proctor, Tony Dutzik and James Horrox, "We don't need deep-sea mining," Environment America Research & Policy Center, June 18, 2024.
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5. Kelsey Lamp, Nathan Proctor, Tony Dutzik and James Horrox, "We don't need deep-sea mining," Environment America Research & Policy Center, June 18, 2024.
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