Hundreds of miles southwest of American Samoa’s coastline, about 3.4 miles below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, something subtly remarkable is taking place. The first pictures of geologic seafloor samples taken during a hydrographic survey project that covered more than 30,000 square nautical miles of federal waters in the U.S. exclusive economic zone off American Samoa were made public by NOAA in April.
Lumpy, dark-colored nodules resting on the seafloor are visible in the photos; they’re not particularly striking to look at, but they’re the kind of discovery that makes mineral economists stand up a bit. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration did not create this project on its own. Using about $20 million in funding from fiscal year 2025, NOAA announced the project in January 2026 as part of the Department of Commerce’s execution of the U.S. Offshore Critical Minerals Mapping Plan. The stimulus originated from above: Citing what the administration called “unprecedented national security challenges in securing reliable mineral supplies independent of foreign adversary control,” President Trump issued an executive order in April 2025 titled “Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources,” which called for the quick development of domestic seabed mineral resources.
To put it simply, the United States does not want to continue relying on China for manganese, nickel, and cobalt. It’s a legitimate worry, and Washington has been considering taking action on it for years. In February 2026, SamoanewsgCaptain, a NOAA contractor, started conducting surveys. The speed at which the results have begun to come in is remarkable. The gathered box core samples will enable additional analysis to comprehend the makeup of deep-sea resources and their environments.
It is a “historic project” that will allow for science-based decision-making, according to NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs. The speed of this operation suggests something more urgent, but that’s the kind of language agencies use when they want to sound measured. In order to continue characterizing the deep sea in this strategically significant area, NOAA Ocean Exploration intends to send the NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to American Samoan waters later in 2026.
This will include livestreamed dives from a remotely operated vehicle. Ocean dives were streamed live. The fact that science is being done in one of the planet’s most remote regions and is being broadcast in real time is an almost incongruous detail. There’s a feeling that NOAA is attempting to increase public participation for something that was only discussed in committee hearings and policy papers until very recently. The situation becomes more complicated when Congress intervenes on behalf of NOAA Ocean Service.
Lawmakers have been debating the legal, diplomatic, and environmental implications of American seabed mining. Since the United States has not ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, American businesses are unable to apply for contracts through the International Seabed Authority, which is the organization that officially oversees deep-sea extraction outside of national borders. Rather, the United States relies on the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act of 1980, which grants NOAA permission to grant licenses to American citizens for deep-sea exploration and recovery in international waters. According to reports, NOAA received over ten applications under this framework after the executive order. Congress seems to be still figuring out the implications of that significant increase.
Bills that would codify the executive order and encourage federal agencies to expedite review timelines have been introduced by some enthusiastic lawmakers. Others, worried about upsetting ecosystems that took millions of years to form, have been far more circumspect. It’s difficult to ignore the tension: biological communities that scientists are just starting to comprehend are located on the same seabed that is being photographed for mineral prospectivity. It is genuinely unclear if that contradiction is resolved in a meaningful way, as opposed to merely being handled politically.
The American Samoa project might be a capability demonstration, at least in part. In a policy environment that demands both speed and scientific credibility, NOAA is demonstrating its ability to move swiftly, produce real data, and produce observable results. Critical mineral deposits are a major focus, but the mapping and characterization work is also anticipated to spur additional research and exploration, influencing local decisions and management actions pertaining to deep-sea resources and the larger marine environment. The dual framing of environmental stewardship and economic ambition is intentional, and it most likely must be. Ocean Service of NOAA
An additional layer is added by the global setting. The regulatory framework for deep-sea extraction in international waters remains unresolved as the International Seabed Authority has yet to finalize its mining code. Operating outside of that framework, the United States is essentially creating its own path. Congress will probably need to take action sooner rather than later to determine whether that results in a feasible parallel structure or a diplomatic point of contention with Pacific Island countries and UNCLOS signatories.
The nodules are currently captured on camera. They are drawing the maps. Additionally, a picture of what the next phase of American mineral strategy might look like is literally taking shape somewhere on the Pacific seabed.
