Page 14: of Marine News Magazine (May 2026)

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Washington Watch

Subsea Mining tiative near American Samoa, covering more than 30,000 support mineral exploration too, not only extending the square nautical miles of federal waters. Beginning in early value of infrastructure already in place but accelerating 2026, the effort will generate rich publicly accessible data our offshore economy. on seabed geology, environmental conditions, and mineral The U.S. is no longer asking whether ocean minerals prospectivity, supplementing decades of prior research by matter, it’s moving to action. Sustaining that momentum

NOAA in international waters. Good data is the founda- requires regulatory agencies to keep frameworks predict- tion of responsible development and of sound regulation. able, science-based, and adaptable as technology evolves.

Together, these steps signal a shift from conceptual in- The offshore sector already has what it takes to lead re- terest to practical engagement. As global competition for sponsibly, the vessels, subsea technologies, geophysical ex- critical minerals intensi? es, the U.S. is uniquely positioned pertise, and safety culture built over decades in the Gulf to lead, having led technology development, pioneered and beyond. That foundation, combined with Washing- scienti? c research and environmental impact assessments, ton’s recent policy moves, gives industry the con? dence to and with the only fully developed regulatory framework invest in a frontier the U.S. helped pioneer. Early leader- for ocean mineral exploration and development in nation- ship here means shaping the operational standards, envi- al waters and the high seas. ronmental safeguards, and international norms that will

Deep sea mineral development also ? ts naturally govern the sector for years. Done right, ocean mineral alongside traditional offshore energy activity. The vessels, development strengthens domestic supply chains, reduces ports, fabrication facilities, skilled workforce and break- dependence on foreign sources, supports high-value jobs, through innovations that support oil and gas and emerg- and reinforces the industrial base on which U.S. economic ing sectors, like offshore wind and carbon capture, can and national security depend.

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