Trump administration pushes forward with controversial deep-sea mining plans in pacific despite indigenous opposition and scientific concerns

The Trump administration is dramatically expanding its deep-sea mining ambitions in the Pacific, targeting waters around the Marianas Trench and nearly doubling the proposed mining area near American Samoa from 18 million to 33 million acres—an expanse larger than Peru. The move comes despite fierce opposition from Indigenous leaders and mounting scientific evidence about the potential environmental devastation such operations could cause.

Indigenous communities in American Samoa have imposed their own moratorium on seabed mining, with Governor Pulaali’i Nikolao Pula explicitly asking the federal government not to proceed without territorial consent. “Our fisheries are essential for food security, recreation and the perpetuation of our Samoan culture,” emphasized Nathan Ilaoa, director of American Samoa’s Department of Marine & Wildlife Resources. The stakes are particularly high for the territory, where tuna comprises 99.5% of all exports.

The administration justifies the expansion as necessary for national security, with acting Bureau of Ocean Energy Management director Matt Giacona arguing these minerals are “key to ensuring the United States is not reliant on China and other nations for its critical minerals needs.” However, recent research from the University of Hawaii reveals alarming consequences: deep-sea mining creates massive sediment plumes that can starve zooplankton—tiny creatures forming the foundation of ocean food webs. As lead researcher Michael Dowd warns, “this community could collapse” due to the interconnected nature of marine ecosystems.

The proposed mining areas include waters near the biologically diverse Marianas Trench National Marine Monument, home to unique seamount and hydrothermal vent ecosystems that scientists say still hold many secrets about deep-ocean life.