Overview

• Delegates to the International Seabed Authority will convene in July to consider the first exploitation permits after issuing only exploration licences to date.
• The Metals Company’s application to NOAA marks the first American bid for commercial deep-sea mining and is now under federal review.
• Legal scholars and ISA Secretary-General Leticia Reis de Carvalho contend that U.S. moves to bypass ISA protocols conflict with international seabed governance.
• Researchers highlight that seafloor scars from a 1979 polymetallic nodule test remain visible after decades, fueling demands for stronger environmental protections.
• Thirty-seven countries and conservation groups such as Greenpeace and the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition are calling for a moratorium until comprehensive regulations are established.