The United States is increasing its efforts to secure local sources of critical minerals with a new seabed mapping project in the Pacific. This initiative is part of a larger strategy to lessen reliance on foreign suppliers and counter China's growing control over important resources.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced today a new hydrographic survey to map over 30,000 square nautical miles of federal waters near American Samoa. This project is part of the Department of Commerce's plan to implement the U.S. Offshore Critical Minerals Mapping Plan, backed by about $20 million in funding for the fiscal year 2025.

NOAA contractor NV5 will start the survey work in February 2026. They will create maps, images, and samples of the marine environment that will be accessible to the public. The goal is to enhance understanding of the deep-ocean environment around American Samoa and encourage further exploration, research, and management projects focused on deep-sea minerals.

“NOAA is proud to take a leading role in the President’s plan to unlock access to critical minerals for domestic supply chains,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., the NOAA administrator. “This project showcases NOAA’s significant impact on economic resilience as we invest in research that supports sustainable deep-sea mining practices and helps partners better understand their marine environments.”

This initiative follows an executive order by President Trump in April 2025, titled Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources. It called for rapid development of domestic seabed mineral resources and highlighted the U.S. challenges in securing reliable supplies of critical minerals without foreign control.

U.S. waters are believed to have one billion metric tons of polymetallic nodules, rich in manganese, nickel, copper, and other essential minerals needed for manufacturing, technology, and defense. These minerals are crucial for a wide range of products, from defense systems and batteries to smartphones and medical devices.

The American Samoa mapping project is occurring as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has made significant strides toward commercial leasing in the Pacific. In November 2025, BOEM completed the Area Identification offshore American Samoa and opened a public comment period for the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

“The Pacific Outer Continental Shelf holds great potential for critical minerals that fuel American manufacturing and defense technology,” said Acting BOEM Director Matt Giacona. “These resources are vital to ensure that the United States does not depend on China or other countries for its critical mineral needs.”

For American Samoa, BOEM has finished the area identification process, which pinpoints specific sites that will be reviewed for environmental impacts related to proposed commercial leases. This assessment will evaluate leasing and preliminary characterization activities, following all relevant environmental laws, including the National Historic Preservation Act.

“If done correctly, this could bring significant economic benefits to our fellow Americans in the territory,” said William Hague, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs.

The American Samoa process started when Impossible Metals submitted a formal lease sale request to BOEM in April 2025, the first such request in over three decades. BOEM noted that neither the Area ID nor the mapping project means a decision to lease, and any potential lease sale will need further publications, environmental reviews under NEPA, and adherence to all federal laws.

These initiatives are part of broader policy changes by the Interior Department announced in June to facilitate offshore critical minerals development. These changes extended prospecting permits from three to five years and removed the requirement for formal requests for information before identifying development areas—potentially speeding up the approval process.

While the U.S. can authorize mining in its territorial waters, dealing with international waters raises complex legal issues. The International Seabed Authority, established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which the U.S. has not ratified, continues to discuss standards for deep-sea mining, especially concerning environmental impacts.

Environmental groups have expressed concerns about the effects on marine biodiversity, while advocates argue that offshore mining could decrease reliance on onshore operations and foreign mineral supplies.