Ocean Mining News just got a major update: the U.S. Marine Minerals Administration has published a Proposed Leasing Notice for a potential minerals lease sale in federal waters off the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The agency frames the move as support for domestic critical minerals supply chains and energy security, and it has already completed an Environmental Assessment on the potential impacts of commercial leasing in the area. Importantly, issuing the notice doesn't guarantee a lease sale will happen, and a Final Leasing Notice would still need to publish at least 30 days before any sale date. (Source: BOEM/Marine Minerals Administration)
We're also covering a parallel mining conflict on the other side of the Pacific: a proposed marine sand dredging project off Indonesia's Riau Islands has sparked protests from hundreds of fishers in Tanjungpinang, who warn of damage to fishing grounds, coral reefs, and coastal defenses, alongside geopolitical concerns given the strait's strategic location. (Source: Mongabay) Rounding out the episode is a wild wildlife story: newly documented footage shows orcas in Mexico's Gulf of California ramming a sunfish at high speed to shatter it into bite-size pieces for juveniles to eat, a previously undescribed feeding behavior. (Source: Smithsonian Magazine)
Plus, don't miss this episode's Spotlight segment, where we profile a standout figure in ocean science and conservation. Join us live for all the analysis, discussion, and your questions in our Live Q&A.
Takeaways:
The U.S. has taken a formal step toward opening federal Pacific waters near the Mariana Islands for deep-sea mineral mining, though a sale isn't guaranteed
Indonesian fishers are actively organizing against a sand mining proposal they say threatens their livelihoods and coastal ecosystems
Orcas have been documented using a coordinated ramming technique to process sunfish into food for juveniles — a first for science
This episode connects two live global mining stories, offering a useful lens for comparing how different governments and communities are handling ocean resource extraction
