ISA Grants 31 Deep-Sea Mining Contracts Across Alaska-Sized Seabed as Battery-Metal Hunt Intensifies
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jun 9
ISA Grants 31 Deep-Sea Mining Contracts Across Alaska-Sized Seabed as Battery-Metal Hunt Intensifies
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jun 9
Summary
Thirty-one exploration contracts issued by the International Seabed Authority now cover an Alaska-sized area of international seabed, opening more of the deep ocean to prospecting for battery and microchip metals.
Nineteen contracts target manganese nodules, while 12 others let companies assess stripping seamount tops and mining hydrothermal vents, including areas in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone between Mexico and Hawaii.
The push is driven by demand for nickel, cobalt, copper and other minerals used in batteries and chips, with backers arguing seabed supplies could support the shift away from fossil fuels.
Scientists and conservation advocates warn the targeted regions remain poorly understood, with one expedition finding 90% of recovered species were new to science and nodule ecosystems taking up to 3 million years to form.
That leaves the ISA at the center of a widening clash between green-industry supply needs and protection of one of Earth’s least studied, slowest-recovering ecosystems.
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Deep-Sea Mining in 2026: Fragmented Governance, Industry Ambitions, and the Rising Tide of Global Opposition
Overview
The deep-sea mining industry is at a crossroads, with the International Seabed Authority’s stalled regulatory process and lack of a Mining Code fueling both international opposition and unilateral national actions. As the ISA continues to delay decisions, environmental campaigners see each session without new rules as a win for fragile deep-sea ecosystems, which remain protected from industrial disturbance. Meanwhile, growing pressure to advance commercial mining and the introduction of a new ocean treaty are reshaping high seas governance, highlighting a global divide between those pushing for exploitation and those calling for caution and stronger environmental safeguards.