Over 15 years of ocean science and conservation online
Is deep-sea mining inevitable? Can deep-sea mining be sustainable? Will the deep-sea mining community ever agree on a payment regime under the common heritage principle? Can the United States issue deep-sea mining licenses in the high seas without ISA approval? Will deep-sea mining awaken eldritch horrors vast and unknowable, from their millennia of slumber? These … Read More “Tackling the least important debate in deep-sea mining: the desultory hyphen” »
The first six months of 2026 have been busy. Between writing for my OpEd fellowship, working on congressional testimony, drafting my upcoming book on the use and misuse of the deep sea, and, well, working an actual job because I still have to keep my family fed and my daughter has developed a taste for … Read More “Deep-sea Mining, Domestic Cats, Star Trek, and Ocean Exploration: Andrew’s mid-year podcast round-up.” »
The Blake Plateau, off the coast of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, is one of the most remarkable ecosystems in the United States. It is home to the world’s largest cold water coral reef, a coral complex larger than the state of Vermont, which may be the single largest contiguous ecosystem in the continental US. … Read More “How close did the world’s first deep-sea mining come to the dredging the world’s largest cold-water coral reef?” »
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.” »
2025. Holy Mola was that a long year. I made a concerted effort to appear on more podcasts last year across more topics than I usually do. Excepting the weekly ocean science podcast I’m a part of, I hit a little more than 1 podcast a month throughout the year. If you need an expert … Read More “Smart Buoys, Deep-sea Mining, Marine Careers, and Dungeons & Dragons: 2025 in Ocean Science Podcasts” »
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” »
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.” »
Migratory species depend on a vast, interconnected ocean. Disturbance in the deep-sea isn’t localized, it ripples across a globally-connected ocean and impacts made today may persist long after our species fades. Deep-sea mining is an industry in its infancy. As it has slowly matured towards commercial production, the major focus on the impacts of deep-sea … Read More “What we know we don’t know: impacts of deep-sea mining on whales, dolphins, sharks, turtles, and other migratory species.” »
I was invited by the Sierra Club National Marine Team to talk about the science and policy of deep-sea mining. Watch the panel, above!
I am extremely pleased to announce that a book I contributed to is now available for pre-order. Ocean: From Shore to Abyss, led by the legendary Dr. Asha de Vos, is a visual journey through the oceans, from sandy beaches to the deepest trenches. I, along with Tony Martin, Helen Scales, Peter Godfrey-Smith, and Rebecca … Read More “Ocean: From the Shore to the Abyss” »
