Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
Last week, I joined Andrew Lewin on How to Protect the Ocean to talk about my recent congressional briefing, the experience of testifying in front of congress, and the potential consequences of deep-sea mining. A few key points of my testimony, and my response to Congresswoman Dexter, were clipped by Forbes. I think they’re worth … Read More “Talking about deep-sea mining, permitting, and my recent congressional briefing on How to Protect the Ocean.” »
The Trump administration argues that opening America’s seafloor to deep sea mining is essential for strengthening our economy and securing our energy future. But from a Pacific Islander perspective, this rush to extract metals from the ocean – especially near the Mariana Trench and American Samoa – ignores hard-earned lessons and risks repeating past mistakes. … Read More “Walking Backwards Into the Future: Applying Indigenous Knowledge to Deep Sea Mining” »
This week, I was invited to testify in front of Congress on the environmental and social impacts of deep-sea mining for the House Natural Resources Committee hearing Deep Dive: Examining the Regulatory and Statutory Barriers to Deep Sea Mining. In my opening statement, I touched on three critical points: the lack of urgency to access … Read More “The Urgency Does Not Exist: My statement on Deep-sea Mining to the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources” »
On January 22, 2026 the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held an oversight hearing titled “Deep Dive: Examining the Regulatory and Statutory Barriers to Deep Sea Mining.” The hearing revealed significant bipartisan resistance to deep-sea mining in the US Pacific territories, including a unified position from Republican members Radewagen of American … Read More “Bipartisan Concern Expressed Over Deep Sea Mining at Congressional Hearing” »
In the last month, two major players in the development of the deep-sea mining industry have put their plans on pause, calling for more research and less urgency in the race to the bottom. In November, the Cook Islands opted to extend their current exploration programs for an another five years, giving contractors and scientists … Read More “Norway and Cook Islands put their deep-sea mining plans on pause.” »
“My family lived and died in America, hmGood ol’ USA (good ol’ USA), shitWhole lotta red in that white and blue, huhHistory can’t be erased, ooh-ohAre you lookin’ for a new America? (America)Are you tired, working time and a half for half the pay?” – Ya Ya lyrics, Beyonce The Trump administration is attempting to … Read More “Beyoncé is Right: History Can’t Be Erased” »
“The health of the ocean is not beholden to the burn rate of private companies.” In May, right after the congressional hearing, I recorded an episode of the Marine Conservation Happy Hour talking about deep-sea mining, the current push from within the United States, and what that might mean for the International Seabed Authority. Earlier … Read More “Chatting about deep-sea mining with the Marine Conservation Happy Hour and Outside/In” »
Nodules, a new documentary by Clare Fieseler and Jason Jaacks takes a deep dive into polymetallic nodule mining and two recent discoveries that help reshape our understanding of the seafloor. Fieseler explores the discovery of dark oxygen production in nodule fields and the rediscovery of the world’s first deep-sea mining test site on the Blake … Read More “Nodules, Lost Mines, and Dark Oxygen: A new documentary on deep-sea mining asks important questions about the future of the industry.” »
Right to Democracy and the America the Beautiful for All Coalition have united in support of American Samoa’s right to protect its ocean and seabed from destructive deep seabed mining. The organizations have drafted a petition to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, backed by residents and diaspora from the five U.S. Territories: American Samoa, … Read More “Right to Democracy and the America the Beautiful for All Coalition Stand with American Samoa in Opposing Unilateral Proposals for Deep Seabed Mining” »
It is more important than ever to discuss and create policies that center equity and justice in ocean conservation. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and destructive, the fossil fuel industry continues to pollute our common resources, critical habitats are increasingly lost to climate change impacts, and the people most affected are those living … Read More “Trump’s DEI Attacks Make Ocean Justice More Important Than Ever” »
