Ranking Member Lofgren's Opening Statement at Deep-Sea Mining Hearing

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is holding an Environment Subcommittee hearing titled, Beneath the Waves: The Science and Technology of Deep-Sea Mining.(link is external)

Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren's (D-CA) opening statement as prepared for the record is below:

Thank you, Chairman Franklin and Ranking Member Amo for convening this timely discussion on deep-sea mining research and technology. And thank you to our distinguished witnesses for appearing before the Committee today.

While we live on a blue planet, we have barely scratched the surface of understanding of our oceans. As of last summer, only about 27% of the global seafloor has been mapped according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And as little as 1% of the seafloor has been explored. We can't pretend to understand what we have barely begun to even explore.

Furthering our knowledge of the deep ocean is important for national security, natural resource management, economic health, and cultural identity. With the nation's expansive ocean jurisdiction, we have the responsibility to be a leader in ocean exploration.

While U.S. researchers provide highly impactful peer-reviewed ocean science research with significant influence, unfortunately, the U.S. has already lost the lead in published ocean research output.

Just this week, Reuters reported that the Chinese Government supports more than 40 research vessels that are a part of a broader ocean mapping and monitoring operation conducting climate and maritime research. In comparison, NOAA has 15 research vessels with only one being able to conduct deep-sea research. This imbalance has concerning implications for U.S. national security. The civilian ocean and climate research that the Chinese Government is heavily investing in, according to Reuters and other naval experts, is invaluable for sub-sea military operations and capabilities.

If we fail to invest in marine and climate research, we risk ceding both scientific leadership and strategic advantage on multiple fronts. I believe that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle can agree that strengthening American research and technological capabilities in ocean exploration is necessary.

The specific topic at hand in this hearing is deep-sea mining. And the fact is that right now, we simply do not have the scientific baseline necessary to support commercial deep-sea mining.

Most exploration contracts to date have focused on the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, widely considered the best-studied deep-sea mining region in the world. Yet scientists still lack the data needed to address the scientific uncertainties surrounding deep-sea activities even in this relatively well-studied zone.

The situation is even more concerning in U.S. waters. In areas under consideration for potential leasing, such as offshore American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and multiple areas in the Alaskan outer continental shelf, there is almost no baseline environmental data available. In some cases, only a handful of deep-sea dives have ever been conducted, and none within proposed lease areas. Reviews of publicly available data show major gaps across nearly every category: biological, chemical, physical, ecological, and even basic seafloor mapping.

This illustrates the great deal of scientific uncertainty that remains. We cannot act responsibly without addressing the unresolved scientific questions surrounding deep-sea mining activity, including potential impacts beyond extraction sites.

From the limited research published on this topic, most studies conducted in prospective mining regions have been funded directly by mining companies. While industry investment in this research is valuable, federal funding is necessary to support independent studies without apparent conflicts of interest.

This is precisely why I have serious reservations about proposals from this Administration to move forward with commercial-scale deep-sea mining.

If we are committed to the responsible development of deep-sea resources, then we must first commit to the science.

That means investing in long-term, independent research to establish robust environmental baselines, understand ecosystem dynamics, and develop the tools needed to monitor and manage impacts effectively.

I look forward to our discussion and to gaining a clearer understanding of what Congress can do to reinstate American leadership in ocean exploration.

Thank you, and I yield back.

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