Senior staff writer at Mongabay. Talk to me about anything related to the ocean. elizabeth@mongabay.com. https://bsky.app/profile/elizabethalberts.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/elizabethalberts.bsky.social/post/3mhuy6ksmas2zMany experts say deep-sea mining will cause irreversible damage to marine ecosystems. Yet the race to exploit the seabed is accelerating. Right now, China is one of the biggest players in this race. It holds multiple exploration contracts and has a fleet of research vessels to survey the seabed.🧵25 Mar 2026 11:26 +0000at://did:plc:ib5gdsaca7vsld7dbkizl3eb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhuy6ksmas2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/elizabethalberts.bsky.social/post/3mb7zbuoivs2hVery sad to hear about the passing of Kristina Gjerde. https://news-mongabay-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/news.mongabay.com/2025/12/kristina-maria-gjerde/amp/30 Dec 2025 18:48 +0000at://did:plc:ib5gdsaca7vsld7dbkizl3eb/app.bsky.feed.post/3mb7zbuoivs2hhttps://bsky.app/profile/elizabethalberts.bsky.social/post/3m7rvcag2pc2tBOEM opened an RFI on Nov. 12 to gather input on potential deep-sea mining near the Mariana Trench. The comment period closes today. Critics say the RFI was rushed and opaque, and that BOEM failed to consult the CNMI and Guam governments or communities beforehand. https://news.mongabay.com/2025/12/deep-sea-mining-interests-raise-alarms-among-mariana-trench-communities/12 Dec 2025 10:35 +0000at://did:plc:ib5gdsaca7vsld7dbkizl3eb/app.bsky.feed.post/3m7rvcag2pc2thttps://bsky.app/profile/elizabethalberts.bsky.social/post/3lvdpqpyesk22TMC once pitched deep-sea mining as a fix for green tech like EVs. Now it's all about U.S. national security. This pivot helped TMC align with U.S. political goals—and brought its mining ambitions closer to reality. @mongabay.com @pulitzercenter.bsky.social https://news.mongabay.com/custom-story/2025/07/a-sales-pitch-pivot-brings-deep-sea-mining-closer-to-reality/01 Aug 2025 13:06 +0000at://did:plc:ib5gdsaca7vsld7dbkizl3eb/app.bsky.feed.post/3lvdpqpyesk22https://bsky.app/profile/elizabethalberts.bsky.social/post/3lup4vvytts2mTMC’s deep-sea mining push is moving ahead, but critics warn of legal fights, ecological damage, and global backlash. Its ties to controversial past ventures like Nautilus & DSMF raise even more red flags. @mongabay.com @pulitzercenter.bsky.social #DeepSeaMining https://news.mongabay.com/custom-story/2025/07/challenges-persist-in-tmcs-bid-to-mine-the-deep-sea-even-after-boost-from-trump/24 Jul 2025 08:36 +0000at://did:plc:ib5gdsaca7vsld7dbkizl3eb/app.bsky.feed.post/3lup4vvytts2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/elizabethalberts.bsky.social/post/3ltgvyyxlbs2rBOEM has rolled out policy changes to fast-track deep-sea mining in U.S. waters — and companies like Impossible Metals, Wetstone, Odyssey Marine Exploration and Transocean are now actively engaging with the agency. @mongabay.com @pulitzercenter.bsky.social https://news.mongabay.com/2025/07/u-s-federal-agency-clears-ways-for-deep-sea-mining-and-companies-are-lining-up/08 Jul 2025 08:46 +0000at://did:plc:ib5gdsaca7vsld7dbkizl3eb/app.bsky.feed.post/3ltgvyyxlbs2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/elizabethalberts.bsky.social/post/3lrqrltho622s"We don’t want any deep-sea mining in Papua New Guinea,” PM James Marape told me at UNOC. But in the province of New Ireland, a seabed mining project appears to be going forward. Read my collab with @john-cannon.bsky.social on @mongabay.com https://news.mongabay.com/2025/06/png-pm-marape-rejects-deep-sea-mining-even-as-provincial-authorities-try-to-revive-project/16 Jun 2025 20:03 +0000at://did:plc:ib5gdsaca7vsld7dbkizl3eb/app.bsky.feed.post/3lrqrltho622shttps://bsky.app/profile/elizabethalberts.bsky.social/post/3lnhl2wq7lc2pNorwegian deep-sea mining company Loke has gone bankrupt. Other companies are feeling the pressure, but the Norwegian government insists that DSM is still moving ahead. If it does, it won’t be smooth sailing. Environmentalists, fishers, scientists, and politicians are raising serious concerns. https://news.mongabay.com/2025/04/with-deep-sea-mining-plans-in-limbo-norwegian-companies-fold-or-dig-in/23 Apr 2025 06:31 +0000at://did:plc:ib5gdsaca7vsld7dbkizl3eb/app.bsky.feed.post/3lnhl2wq7lc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/elizabethalberts.bsky.social/post/3llhqtvh7p225Wild days ahead. Deep-sea miner TMC seeks U.S. approval, potentially bypassing global regulator https://news.mongabay.com/2025/03/deep-sea-miner-tmc-seeks-u-s-approval-potentially-bypassing-global-regulator/28 Mar 2025 21:24 +0000at://did:plc:ib5gdsaca7vsld7dbkizl3eb/app.bsky.feed.post/3llhqtvh7p225https://bsky.app/profile/elizabethalberts.bsky.social/post/3kipk444cl22xThe Spanish government sanctioned 25 of its vessels for illegally turning off their satellite tracking devices while fishing off the coast of Argentina between 2018 and 2021. But this hasn’t stopped the vessels from fishing. My latest for @mongabay.bsky.social https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/spain-sanctions-fishing-vessels-for-illegally-going-dark-near-argentine-waters/11 Jan 2024 14:03 +0000at://did:plc:ib5gdsaca7vsld7dbkizl3eb/app.bsky.feed.post/3kipk444cl22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/elizabethalberts.bsky.social/post/3kil656ktax2eNorway’s parliament has officially voted to allow deep-sea mining to go forward in the Norwegian Sea, despite warnings from scientists and conservationists that it could damage the marine environment. https://news.mongabay.com/2024/01/really-a-sad-day-as-norway-votes-to-allow-deep-sea-mining-in-arctic-waters/ Latest for @mongabay.bsky.social09 Jan 2024 20:18 +0000at://did:plc:ib5gdsaca7vsld7dbkizl3eb/app.bsky.feed.post/3kil656ktax2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/elizabethalberts.bsky.social/post/3kh3hz2ll3g2iThe U.S. government auctioned off oil and gas drilling rights in the Gulf of Mexico despite concerns the move could endanger a newly described and very rare baleen whale known as the Rice’s whale. My latest for @mongabay.bsky.social https://news.mongabay.com/2023/12/u-s-auctions-off-endangered-whale-habitat-for-oil-and-gas-drilling/21 Dec 2023 21:07 +0000at://did:plc:ib5gdsaca7vsld7dbkizl3eb/app.bsky.feed.post/3kh3hz2ll3g2i