John,
The Trump administration wants to fast-track deep-sea mining by slashing environmental reviews that protect the seafloor, one of the largest and most fragile ecosystems on the planet.
A new federal proposal would let mining corporations jump straight to extracting metals like manganese, nickel, and copper from the seafloor, skipping the traditional step-by-step process that’s intended to learn about the environment. That shortcut would reduce opportunities for public input and cut much-needed environmental review processes in half.
Will you help stop this reckless rush to mine the ocean floor?
Deep-sea mining isn’t just destructive — it's devastating. Akin to strip mining or mountaintop-removal mining on land, it sends massive machines to cut through the ocean floor, leaving behind vast, barren landscapes. It kills sponges, vent worms, and other invertebrates who live on metal nodules and stirs up harmful sediment plumes that smother and stress corals. It would also increase ship traffic to and from mining sites, threatening the safety of whales, sharks, sea turtles, and other marine animals.
The bottom of the ocean is teeming with life found nowhere else on Earth. And each year, new species are discovered. Once deep-sea mining starts that life will be gone forever.
Tell NOAA to reject this proposal and maintain strong protections for the seafloor and all life that depends on it.
