During an Oceana Ranger expedition, a diver enters a cave in the waters off Malta.
Ocean Council
Susan Rockefeller, Founder
Kelly Hallman, Vice Chair
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Anonymous
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Peter Neumeier
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Ellie Phipps Price
David Rockefeller, Jr.
Andrew Sabin
Elias Sacal
Regina K. and John Scully
Maria Jose Peréz Simón
Sutton Stracke
Mia M. Thompson
David Treadway, Ph.D.
Edgar and Sue Wachenheim, III
Valaree Wahler
David Max Williamson
Raoul Witteveen
Leslie Zemeckis
Editorial Staff
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Oceana Staff
James F. Simon Chief Executive Officer
Kathryn Matthews, Ph.D. Chief Scientist and Senior Vice President
Liesbeth van der Meer, DVM Senior Vice President
Daniel Olivares Senior Vice President
Joshua Laughren Senior Vice President
Matthew Littlejohn Senior Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
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Nancy Golden Vice President, Global Development
Beth Lowell Vice President, United States
Pascale Moehrle
Executive Director and Vice President, Europe (Retired 2025)
Executive Director and Vice President, United Kingdom
Renata Terrazas Vice President, Mexico
Ademilson Zamboni, Ph.D. Vice President, Brazil
Susan Murray Deputy Vice President, U.S. Pacific
Vera Coelho Deputy Vice President, Europe
Kathy A. Whelpley Chief of Staff
Michael Hirshfield, Ph.D. Senior Advisor
Please Recycle.
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CEO Note
On the cover of this magazine, Oceana team members dive into a cave in Malta during one of Oceana’s many scientific research expeditions. Every year, we dispatch a team of scientists, photographers, and crew to document marine life from on board the Oceana Ranger, our very own research catamaran based in Europe.
This year, we celebrate 20 years since former Board Member Stephen McAllister gifted the Ranger to Oceana. Since then, we’ve conducted dozens of expeditions exploring the wondrous ocean depths, gathering scientific evidence to protect them. Turn to page 18 to journey through past expeditions, which have uncovered everything from mysterious underwater mountains, to areas damaged by pollution and destructive fishing, to species never seen before. You’ll meet some of the beautiful and unique animals who call the oceans home — plus glimpse behind-the-scenes of life on board the Ranger
At the time of our cover photo in 2016, less than 2% of Malta’s waters were protected. Now, thanks in large part to the scientific data collected on expeditions just like this one, 35% of Malta’s waters are protected.
But that’s not the end of the story. Our team in Europe continues to campaign for these waters to not only be protected on paper, but in practice, with management plans that ensure fish and their habitats stay healthy.
As Oceana campaigns to protect marine habitats and stop overfishing around the world, we partner with artisanal fishers as important allies. On the next page, you’ll read about a recent win in El Cuyo, a fishing village in Yucatán, Mexico. Working closely with fishers in this small coastal community, we secured new protections for the Caribbean lobster population off the shores of El Cuyo — safeguarding the species and those who rely on it to make a living. The story from El Cuyo is just one example of how humanity depends on healthy, abundant ecosystems beneath the ocean’s surface.
This issue of Oceana Magazine is brimming with underwater insights and adventures. Our feature on page 10 takes us further down in ocean depths to the heart of a highlycontested issue: deep-sea mining. Learn about the metallic “nodules” deep-sea mining companies are racing to extract, how mining would impact delicate deep-sea ecosystems, and why Oceana and others are calling to suspend deep-sea mining before it starts. We also investigate the narrative that deep-sea mining is necessary for clean energy — and find that the evidence suggests otherwise.
Our Supporter Spotlight introduces Board Member Patrice Etlin, who is not only a successful investor, but a seasoned freediver (page 29). Read
his account of seeing the impacts of climate change and overfishing closeup, and how diving inspired him to become a conservationist.
In our Q&A, marine scientist Dr. Manuel Castellote discusses how listening to North Atlantic right whales is key to protecting them from extinction (page 8). Formerly a scientist at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Castellote talks about the agency’s work to track these endangered whales — and provides a glimpse at how recent personnel cuts will impact this project and others.
Lastly, turn to the back of this issue (page 30) for an illustrated snapshot of Chile’s giant kelp forests: magnificent underwater worlds that support all kinds of marine life. Thanks to our campaigning in Chile, the extraction of giant kelp is now regulated to ensure these forests — and the fish populations who live there — stay healthy.
Together, these stories create a beautiful and complex picture of interconnected life beneath the waves. But they also point to how people play an important role in ocean ecosystems. When the oceans are abundant, coastal communities thrive. We hope that you enjoy this issue and thank you for your continued support in protecting life below — and above — the water.
Oceana and its allies achieved four new victories to help protect and restore the world’s oceans
Mexico establishes protected zone for Caribbean lobster and local fishers
In February 2025, Mexico’s National Commission for Aquaculture and Fisheries created the El Cuyo Fisheries Refugium to protect the Caribbean spiny lobster fishery in El Cuyo, a small community in Yucatán where nearly half of the population relies on lobster fishing for their livelihoods. The no-take zone will protect the areas where lobsters grow and reproduce, supporting local fishers’ effort to recover the lobster population. This action will directly benefit 691 fishers from El Cuyo. Oceana campaigned for the no-take zone alongside artisanal fishers in El Cuyo, providing scientific evidence for the area’s protection and identifying the best location for the no-take zone.
Two US States Cut Plastic Pollution
US state of Washington cuts plastic packaging and pollution
The U.S. state of Washington passed a law addressing the more than 370,000 metric tons (410,000 tons) of plastic packaging generated in the state each year. This law will cut plastic packaging and pollution, curb harmful chemical recycling, and support reuse programs.
Nets are made and repaired by local fishers in El Cuyo, a fishing community in Yucatán, Mexico. Oceana partnered with local fishers to help recover the lobster population.
The United Kingdom’s March 2024 ban on commercial fishing for sandeels has been upheld following a legal challenge from the European Union. Sandeels are small fish that are an essential part of the U.K.’s marine ecosystem. Overfishing has depleted this fish population, threatening many species like puffins, pollack, and cod, which rely on sandeels for food. The commercial fishing industry primarily caught sandeels to create feed for livestock. Oceana, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and other allies, campaigned to protect this ban, which will help sandeels and ocean ecosystems recover.
New law in Oregon eliminates plastic film bags at checkout
The U.S. state of Oregon will eliminate all bags made of plastic film at checkout at restaurants, grocery stores, and other retail establishments starting in 2027. With this new law, Oregon is protecting its ocean life from one of the deadliest types of plastic pollution.
Sandeels are an important food source for other animals, like the Atlantic puffin.
News & Notes
Trump administration cuts workforce of US agency that oversees oceans
The Trump administration’s efforts to slash the federal government workforce have extended to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which forecasts weather, manages fisheries, charts the oceans, and conserves coastal ecosystems. An estimated 10% of the agency’s staff has been laid off since March 2025. The staffing cuts, as well as proposed funding cuts, will impact Americans in coastal and land-locked areas alike, says Oceana’s Vice President for the United States Beth Lowell. “It opens the door to overfishing and leaves fishers with uncertainty about how they will support their families. It puts Americans in harm’s way as critical weather updates may be offline. Protected animals like the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale could go extinct with scientists no longer on duty.” The NOAA cuts are part of the administration’s broader strategy for environmental deregulation, which includes weakening marine sanctuaries, opening national forests to logging, and expanding oil drilling.
Oceana releases report urging phaseout of hazardous plastic foam
Every year, the world produces 8 million metric tons, or over 17 billion pounds, of plastic foam. What impact does this have on our oceans, environment, and bodies?
In April 2025, Oceana released “Plastic Foam Needs ‘To Go,’” a new report revealing the dangers behind single-use plastic foam products like takeout food containers, cups, and packing peanuts. Plastic foam often becomes ocean pollution
and is consumed by animals like sea turtles, elephant seals, and shorebirds — threatening their health and survival. Plastic foam’s main building block is styrene, which is toxic to the human nervous system and linked to cancer. Oceana’s report calls on governments to phase out single-use plastic foam at the local, state, and national levels, and for companies to stop using the material in their products.
NOAA scientists operate a boat in choppy U.S. waters.
New transparency commitments announced at 2025 Our Ocean Conference
Oceana sent a delegation to the 10th annual Our Ocean Conference in Busan, South Korea in April 2025, where they called on governments to address
the most pressing threats facing our ocean. Two of the conference’s plenary sessions featured Oceana’s Vice President for the United States Beth Lowell, speaking on sustainable fisheries, and Oceana Board Member Dr. Rashid Sumaila on marine protected areas. During the event, the governments
of South Korea, Ghana, and Cameroon each publicly committed to the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, a set of 10 policy principles developed by Oceana and other conservation organizations to combat illegal fishing, human rights abuses, and the mismanagement of fisheries.
North Sea spill highlights oil’s risk to marine life in the UK
On March 10, 2025, an oil tanker collided with a cargo ship in the North Sea, unleashing an oil spill and extensive plastic pollution in two marine protected areas. The tanker lost 17,515 barrels of jet fuel in an area specifically designated to protect porpoises and other wildlife. U.K. seas suffered more than two oil or chemical spills a day last year, an interactive map published by Oceana revealed. Shortly after the North Sea oil spill, Oceana took the government to court over 28 licenses for oil and gas exploration, three-quarters of which are inside marine protected areas, home to animals like harbour porpoises, grey seals, and puffins. “These places should be a safe haven for wildlife,” said Hugo Tagholm, Oceana’s leader for the U.K. “Oil is an accident waiting to happen.”
Thousands of barrels of jet fuel spilled into the North Sea following a ship collision.
Ghanaian Member of Parliament Godfred Seidu Jasaw, Oceana Vice President for the U.S. Beth Lowell, Ghana Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Emelia Arthur, and Coalition for Fisheries Transparency Director Maisie Pigeon at the Our Ocean conference.
Castellote is a marine scientist who has spent his career listening to the oceans — especially the whales and dolphins that call them home. At the beginning of his career, “bioacoustics” was still an emerging field. Twenty-five years later, Castellote and his colleagues have learned how to detect where whales and dolphins gather — and how to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help protect them. Castellote worked with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for 15 years, prior to being let go during the federal government’s mass layoffs earlier this year.
Q&A with Dr. Manuel Castellote: Listening to whales
What inspired you to study marine mammals?
MC: Ever since my childhood growing up in Spain, I’ve been interested in animals. Once a chair went missing in our house, and my parents found it on the roof because I had been sitting up there, observing cats moving across the houses.
I’ve been especially interested in how animals live in the mysterious ocean environment, which led me to study marine biology, and eventually bioacoustics — the study of animal sounds. I was drawn to whales and dolphins in particular because of their curiosity.
Tell us how whales and dolphins use sound.
MC: We humans use our eyes to scope out the world around us. For marine mammals, the dominant sense is sound, which makes sense because underwater visibility is often limited.
Because water is denser than air, sound travels more easily and farther in water. If I shout into the air, the sound becomes fainter the farther it travels. But in the water, that fade is much milder. Sounds can travel hundreds of miles away. Dolphins and whales use sound signals to socialize and to find other animals. Dolphins in particular can construct a
picture of their environment using only sound — something called echolocation.
How do scientists use bioacoustics to pick up marine mammals’ sounds?
MC: For scientists, sound is a handy signal to learn where these animals are and what they’re doing. Often we use microphones anchored to the seafloor to record sound waves. Back on land we analyze these signals for certain whistles, calls, and echolocation clicks. From these sounds, we can tell where and when the whales and dolphins are detected, what they’re doing, and whether they’re staying or just passing through. Or, if we hear young animals, we know it’s a nursery. My work has focused describing these signals and converting them into data.
Most recently, you studied North Atlantic right whales with NOAA. Why these whales?
MC: NOAA’s mission has historically involved protecting marine life and minimizing their risk of extinction. Because we estimate there are only around 370 North Atlantic right whales left, they have been a top priority. NOAA has done a lot of work to understand these whales’ behavior and how they use their habitat. Research revealed two main threats to their survival: entanglement in fishing
gear and strikes from vessels. And the latter has a lot to do with noise pollution.
Can you explain how noise pollution impacts whales?
MC: If you’re crossing a highway at 3 a.m. with your eyes closed, you know when a car is coming and what direction it’s coming from because the road is so quiet. But if it’s rush hour, you can’t easily identify a gap in traffic to cross because of all the noise. That’s what’s happening in the oceans for right whales — because there is so much traffic noise, they can’t locate where a particular ship is or which way it’s going. By the time the vessel is right there, it’s too close to avoid and they get hit.
In 2001, I was working at a research station nearby the summer breeding ground for North Atlantic right whales. When the tragedy of September 11 happened, shipping and air traffic stopped and most of the North Atlantic no longer had this chronic noise pollution. With ambient noise at preindustrial volumes, the whales’ cortisol levels — which
reflect their stress levels — were way down. They enjoyed a quiet environment for the first time in their lives.
This was the first study addressing the effects of chronic ship noise exposure on whales, and thanks to more recent work in this field, NOAA is developing a strategy to minimize the acute, chronic, and cumulative impacts of noise on marine animals.
You worked with colleagues at NOAA to track the movements of whales using AI. Tell us more about this effort.
MC: Analyzing hours of sound recordings is tedious and costly, so we collaborated with the Microsoft AI for Good Lab to use machine learning to process sound recordings for a beluga whale program in Alaska. The AI models increased our accuracy and saved us up to 70% of the time it takes to analyze the recordings.
A few years ago, Congress asked NOAA to expand its acoustic monitoring efforts for North Atlantic right whales, and I was selected to
lead this effort in the Southeast. The expansion plan aimed to more than triple the number of sensors collecting acoustic data on right whales from North Carolina to Florida, using AI to support these efforts. Just last year, I relocated to Florida for the project.
Unfortunately, when my role changed, it meant I was under a temporary “probationary” status — and earlier this year, the Trump administration fired most probationary employees across the government, including me.
How will the NOAA cuts impact this project and others?
MC: Working on a team of three, I was the project leader and the only person with AI experience. Now my former colleagues are struggling to stay on schedule without the planned AI assistance. The cuts at NOAA will have far-reaching consequences, from reducing the chance of survival for right whales, to weakening the agency’s ability to issue hurricane and tsunami alerts.
How does tracking whales help the public?
MC: Fishers and the shipping industry do not want to harm whales. They also don’t want to damage their vessels or expensive gear. Using acoustic monitoring, we’ve seen that when whales went to new areas to feed — places where vessel traffic and fisheries weren’t regulated — deaths went up. Monitoring also helps NOAA fine-tune regulations to avoid closing fisheries or limiting vessel speed in places where whales aren’t present. Thanks to this information, NOAA can more precisely target protection measures in a way that benefits everyone. It’s a win-win for whales and people.
Dr. Manuel Castellote studies the behavior of beluga whales chasing salmon at a glacial river mouth in Cook Inlet, Alaska.
About 1,000 meters below the ocean’s surface, the last traces of light from the sun and moon disappear into inky black. Among the ocean’s strongest divers, sperm whales and leatherback sea turtles can swim to the threshold, but rarely do they enter these lightless depths. This is the “midnight zone,” and entering it is like plunging into another planet.
Down here, the only flashes of light come from animals’ bioluminescent bodies. Deep sea anglerfish, whose huge mouths hold long, sharp teeth, wear a lure attached to their heads like a wand to draw in prey. For red comb jellies, darkness provides camouflage — without sun, their red color turns jet black.
At 1,000 meters (3,280 feet), the temperature is about that of a refrigerator. Deeper down, it gets
colder and quieter near the ocean seabeds, some of which are paved with metallic gray rocks, resembling underwater cobblestone streets. Each rock started as something small — like a shark tooth or tiny fossil. Over millions of years, metals like iron, manganese, cobalt, and nickel slowly layered on, bringing some of these rocks to the size of a potato.
We now know these rocks as “polymetallic nodules,” and companies want to use their metals for everything from computers and phones to electric vehicles and wind turbines. Companies around the world are testing equipment to extract the nodules, gauging their ability to send robots deeper than most sperm whales or leatherback sea turtles have ventured. They want to do what humanity has never done before: harvest the deep sea at scale.
For centuries, scientists assumed that the chilly deep sea was empty of life. Now we know that the deep sea (generally meaning 200 to 10,000 meters, or 650 to 32,800 feet deep) is the largest habitable place on the planet. But the vast majority of species living there are new to scientists. Less than 10% of deep-sea species are named. As companies ramp up their search for minerals underwater, scientists are intensifying their efforts to document the ocean’s deepest dwellers — and investigate the impact mining operations could have on their habitats.
Using a robot capable of diving over 4,000 meters (14,000 feet), scientists explored underwater mountains along the Nazca and Salas y Gomez Ridge, off the coast of Chile, in 2024. One scientist described the number of new species sighted as mind-blowing. They witnessed a large group of Humboldt squid feeding and a bristle worm that some describe as “a living disco ball.”
Deep-sea species live in a range of habitats. There are vibrant
seamounts (underwater mountains, like those found off the coast of Chile), teeming with corals, sponges, and fish, as well as hydrothermal vents, sometimes likened to hot springs on the ocean floor. Both of these habitats are filled with coveted minerals. Seamounts are crusted in cobalt, iron, nickel, and manganese, while hydrothermal vents produce small structures rich in gold, nickel, copper, and other metals.
At the moment, the international spotlight is not fixed on seamounts or hydrothermal vents. Instead, all eyes are on a third habitat: the abyssal plains. Home to the sought-after polymetallic nodules, these flat, wide-open areas, while likely not as dense with life as the seamounts or vents, are no less striking. Small animals like corals, worms, and sponges live directly on the nodules.
To reach the nodules, deep-sea mining companies are testing
robotic technologies. The Canadian-based “The Metals Company” (TMC) has developed a process in which a vehicle, about the size of a bus, would journey underwater, grab the nodules, and send them up a miles-long vertical tube to a ship waiting on the surface. Some have nicknamed the technology “the world’s largest vacuum cleaner,” while experts including renowned fisheries scientist and Oceana Board Member Dr. Daniel Pauly describe it as a “bulldozer” because it will wipe out the sponges and corals living on the nodules.
Any industrial activity cannot help but disrupt the quiet deep sea, scientists say. In a public letter, 15 marine scientists and legal scholars warned that mining may destroy deep-sea habitats, drive species extinct, and introduce vibrations, noises, chemicals, and clouds of sediment into the ecosystem. In the deep sea, pollution would be especially problematic. Deep-
Any industrial activity cannot help but disrupt the quiet deep sea, scientists say.
Polymetallic nodules are about the size of a potato and contain minerals such as iron, manganese, nickel, copper, and cobalt.
dwelling fish have evolved to live in this unique environment — and despite being a harsh place to live, it’s a clean one. Unlike fish in shallow waters that are adapted to deal with sediment clouding their waters, deep-sea fish have no need to cough dirt through their gills, points out Pauly. Like cave animals who go blind, fish in ocean depths have likely lost their ability to exhale the pollution from their bodies. Disturbance could be a death sentence.
The equipment used to extract the nodules will create clouds of dust that could take years to dissipate. Scars from some of the world’s first deep-sea mining pilot testing, carried out in 1970, still remain today: a sign that does not bode well for recovery.
For decades, scientists have been working to map out the mysterious deep sea — and there is much still to learn.
But mining corporations are growing restless. They are waiting
for the International Seabed Authority (ISA) to issue overdue regulations that would allow their extraction operations to get started. All eyes are on the ClarionClipperton Zone, an area between Hawaii and Central America spanning 4.5 million square kilometers (1.7 million square miles), home to an abundance of polymetallic nodules. The zone has already been parceled into a patchwork of areas where different countries and sponsored companies have been granted exclusive licenses to explore — and, possibly soon, to mine.
Unlike the quiet ocean depths, the conversation on land is growing loud and heated.
Who governs the deep sea?
An invisible line traces around every coastal country on Earth. This line marks 200 nautical miles from the coastline, hemming in an “exclusive economic zone” where
all boats, fishing, and economic activity remain in the country’s control. Venture beyond, and you are in international waters — the high seas. Nearly two thirds of the world’s ocean — including most of the deep sea — is outside national jurisdiction. Anyone’s decision on deep-sea mining affects everyone.
A century after the discovery of polymetallic nodules, world leaders were growing more eager for minerals as geopolitical factors sent metal prices soaring in the 1960s and 70s. At the United Nations General Assembly meeting in 1967, Maltese Diplomat Arvid Pardo took the floor to insist that the promises of the ocean’s minerals (and wealth) belonged to all of humanity — not just the wealthier countries who could get there first.
Pardo’s speech set the stage for the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) — described as the “constitution for the oceans.” The convention included criteria for future deepsea mining. Any activity must
Polymetallic nodules lie in the abyssal plains, forming what look like underwater cobblestone streets.
benefit humankind broadly, which meant ensuring developing countries would have equal access to areas to mine. The parties also agreed that all efforts should protect the marine environment. To date, 167 states and the European Union have ratified the international law (the United States is one of the few that has not).
To ensure equitable access to the seabed, UNCLOS requires that for every parcel of ocean granted to a mining company, another is set aside to be used by or to benefit “developing” countries. It also requires that at least one country supervises the company to ensure they comply with the law.
But some of the companies applying to explore deep-sea
mining are using a loophole. TMC, for example, instead of being supervised by its home country of Canada, sought out the small Pacific Island nation of Nauru, home to about 12,000 islanders, as its sponsor. This move gives the area of ocean set aside for Nauru in addition to the area the company was already given access to. Some also worry that small island sponsors like Nauru will be less likely to call out powerful international corporations for illegal activities or failures to protect the marine environment.
So far, the ISA committee has approved all applications to explore areas for deep-sea mining, though there isn’t a pathway yet for approved commercial-scale exploitation. But one country is shaking up the plot.
The US rushes ahead
In April 2025, President Trump announced a stunning shift in the so-called “gold rush” to mine the deep sea. The president issued an executive order to bypass international law, directing U.S. officials to fast-track a process for companies looking to mine, including in international waters. Less than a week after the announcement, TMC submitted an application to the U.S. government to mine in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
To justify these actions, the president’s executive order cited the U.S. Deep Sea Hard Mineral Resources Act adopted in 1980 — originally intended as an interim measure, pending the U.S. signing onto the UNCLOS agreement, which has not happened.
Many advocacy organizations, scientists, and legal experts have criticized the the administration’s move. “Fast-tracking deep-sea mining by the ISA’s global regulatory processes would set a dangerous precedent and would be a violation of customary international law,” says Duncan Currie, legal adviser for the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition.
Oceana Chief Scientist and Senior Vice President Dr. Kathryn Matthews says that the executive order prioritizes short-term profits over the long-term wellbeing of the oceans and the people who rely on them. “This is a clear case of putting mining companies’ greed over common sense. Any attempt to accelerate deep-sea mining without proper safeguards will only speed up the destruction of our oceans.”
What about climate change?
In the debate about deep-sea mining, climate change looms large. The same minerals found in the deep-sea are used for electric car batteries, wind turbine generators, and solar panels. Deep-sea mining, some proponents argue, is necessary to save humanity from catastrophic planetary warming.
As technologies rapidly evolve, however, the situation is looking less clear. Advances in electric vehicle battery technology, for example, are evolving beyond needing the cobalt or manganese that the polymetallic nodules offer.
“From a technological standpoint, it does not look like deep-sea mining is necessary,” says Oceana Scientist Sarah Bedolfe. “While deep-sea mining companies would clearly benefit from extracting from the deep sea, it’s unclear if anyone else would. One thing we do know is
The deep-sea mining process for polymetallic nodules would involve sending a vehicle thousands of feet underwater, onto the ocean seabeds.
Discharge
Support vessel
Sediment plume
Polymetallic nodules
Nodule collector
mining polymetallic nodules. So are seafood industry groups, biodiversity experts, and major corporations. Nearly 1,000 scientists from 70 countries similarly called for a pause on deepsea mining in a letter stating that its effects on marine ecosystems and biodiversity “would be irreversible on a multi-generational timescale.”
that marine life in the deep sea will suffer.”
As of May 2025, over 65 businesses, including technology companies and electric vehicle manufacturers, signed on to a statement calling for caution around deep-sea mining — and a temporary pause until we know more about how this mining could impact deep-sea life.
Supporters of deep-sea mining argue it could, in theory, take the pressure off land-based mining. But the first priority should be reducing demand for virgin materials and increasing metal recycling, Oceana’s scientists say — not seeking pristine new areas to exploit. “We see no evidence that deep-sea mining would replace land-based mining — it seems more likely that it would only add to the overall pollution created by mining activities,” Bedolfe says.
According to Matthews, despite the promise of deep-sea mining to
increase clean energy, mining could have the opposite effect. The deep sea is the largest “carbon sink” on Earth and has played a key role in buffering climate change from past human-caused emissions. Thanks to the ocean, more than 90% of the excess heat humans have created has already been absorbed, she says. “Damaging these understudied habitats will surely compromise their ability to function as they have, and likely threaten their ability to mitigate climate change.”
Like everything about deep-sea mining, the full impact remains a mystery.
The movement for a moratorium
As the Trump administration works to fast-track deep-sea mining, a movement for a moratorium is building. Over 40 countries are now calling for a pause on
Oceana supports this moratorium, along with 130+ other ocean conservation groups in the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, and is calling for a complete ban on mining hydrothermal vents and cobalt-rich crusts. Instead of opening a new frontier for exploitation, the coalition argues that international efforts should focus on continuing to learn more about the deep sea while creating more responsible systems for production, consumption, and reuse here on land.
Humans have seen just 0.001% of the deep sea, equal to the size of the smallest U.S. state, Rhode Island. Destroying this marine environment without adequately understanding it is a significant risk, scientists say.
“Our maps of Mars are more accurate than our maps of the deep-sea floor. Assuming that we understand an ecosystem that we’ve only just begun exploring — enough to safely and responsibly mine it — is hubris,” says Matthews.
“The contrived race to mine under the guise of green energy is a distraction from the grave consequences mining could have for our ocean and climate. We must protect the deep sea while we continue to learn more about it.”
Cobalt-rich crusts build up on the surfaces of seamounts. Scientists, governments, businesses, and conservation organizations are calling for a moratorium on deep-sea mining in these habitats.
Standing in the harbor of California’s Marina del Rey on a cool day in January 2005, actor and Oceana Board Member Ted Danson smashed a bottle of champagne to celebrate Oceana’s new “eyes and ears in the oceans”: a freshly-painted, doublemasted ship christened the Oceana Ranger.
Today, despite being nearly 40 years old, the boat’s hull still skims gracefully over the waters. For the first half of its life, the Ranger was a custom-built hospital boat that brought communities medical care.
In its second career as Oceana’s research vessel, it is helping to improve the health of the oceans by revealing both the beauty and damage found in their depths.
Donated by former Oceana Board Member Stephen McAllister, the Ranger takes Oceana’s team of scientists — along with a captain, deckhands, photographers, cook, and crew — out to sea to deepen our collective understanding of ocean life and build the case for conservation.
Sailing on a scientific expedition is full of wonders and challenges, but one thing it is not: fast. Oceana’s crew often sails at least a week to reach their research destination, says Oceana’s Senior Advisor and Expedition Lead Ricardo Aguilar. “You’re moving at the speed of a bike — and there’s a lot of ocean to cover.”
Located in Portuguese waters, the Gorringe Ridge is a group of underwater mountains covered in abundant algae forests.
Twenty years ago, when his silver beard was a bit darker, Aguilar participated in Oceana’s first and only transoceanic expedition with the Ranger: a five-month voyage that took the boat from Los Angeles, down the Pacific Coast, threading Caribbean waters, across the Atlantic, and to the Mediterranean. After documenting dozens of sites along the way, they arrived at the boat’s new base: The Balearic Islands, off the coast of Spain.
Over the last two decades the Ranger has helped Oceana protect and restore Europe’s oceans. Data from these expeditions has helped secure protections for 29 areas in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, plus 12 trawling bans across the region. The photos and videos collected have revealed the depths and dangers of plastic waste and
species never before caught on camera.
To mark the 20-year anniversary of the Ranger, enjoy an inside look at photos that have influenced how we understand the oceans — and why we must fight to protect them.
Diving deep in the Gorringe Ridge
On June 13, 2005, nearing the end of its journey across oceans, the Ranger arrived to the Gorringe Ridge — a group of impressive underwater mountains approximately 120140 nautical miles off Portugal. Here, researchers embarked on some of their deepest dives: 30 to 40 meters (about 100-130 feet) down.
The divers saw underwater mountains covered in abundant algae forests, home to gray triggerfish, Mediterranean rainbow wrasse, and slipper lobster. Oceana returned to the area on multiple expeditions over the years and identified over 350 species in the Gorringe Ridge — including species scientists did not know resided there, like branching black coral, bird’s nest sponge, and various other corals.
Thanks in part to Oceana’s detailed reports about life on the Gorringe Ridge, the government of Portugal issued protections to help conserve the area in 2015. In 2025, at the United Nations Ocean Conference, Portugal announced that the area will be expanded to encompass 100,000 square kilometers (38,600 square miles).
In 2015 and 2016, Oceana sailed east to the waters surrounding Malta. Skilled scuba divers and a remotely operated vehicle captured thousands of photos and more than 300 hours of footage of life unfolding underwater. A small seahorse, less than 3 centimeters (just over one inch) long, was one of many species in the dayslong underwater photoshoot. From these photos and footage, researchers could map out sandbanks, reefs, and 89 marine caves surrounding Malta.
Oceana’s scientists then drew up a list of the areas they deemed most in need of protection — from bamboo coral gardens, to areas home to sponges, fish, and animals like the coppery Elongate jewel squid. Following Oceana’s recommendations, the government of Malta announced eight new or expanded marine protected areas in the Mediterranean in 2018. Today, 35% of Malta’s waters are now protected.
Oceana’s new namesake
During the Ranger’s 2012 expedition near Palos Cape in the Spanish Mediterranean, Oceana’s team came across what they thought was a carnivorous sponge. Until they took a closer look, that is. Detailed observation revealed that the mysterious organism had collected skeletal pieces of dead sponge on the seabed and connected them together with a “protein glue,” similar to the kind sponges use.
This was no carnivorous sponge, but a foraminifera — a singlecell organism. At about four to five centimeters (one and a half to two inches) long, it is the largest foraminifera species in the Mediterranean, and the first documented of its kind. The species now bears Oceana’s name: Spiculosiphon oceana. “This strange species proves how little we know about our waters and the real danger of losing biodiversity before we even know these species exist,” Aguilar says.
This seahorse dwells in Malta’s waters and is less than 3 centimeters (just over one inch) tall.
The Elongate jewel squid is among the many marine animals spotted during Oceana’s expeditions to Malta’s waters.
A dolphin escort
The Ranger is often joined by some familiar friends: dolphins. Despite their label as the “common” dolphin, these animals never cease to delight with their playful company. On an expedition in the waters off Southern Spain, Oceana Senior Marine Scientist Helena Alvarez recorded that a group of at least 100 dolphins were “swimming peacefully and changing their course to appear alongside the Oceana Ranger.” The Ranger has helped scientists better understand the places where dolphins breed and feed.
Deep-sea jewel
A “hidden treasure” deep in the Mediterranean Sea, the Cabliers Bank remained unknown until its discovery during a 2010 Oceana Ranger expedition. Located in the nutrient-rich waters where the Mediterranean and Atlantic meet, the Cabliers Bank is a deep-sea coral mound estimated to be over
400,000 years old — and might be the only cold-water reef in the Mediterranean Sea that is still growing.
Because the Cabliers Bank lies in the waters of neighboring countries Morocco, Algeria, and Spain, protecting the area required extensive regional cooperation. Oceana has campaigned for the
three countries to close these waters to fishing. At the United Nations Ocean Conference in June 2025, Spain announced that it is closing the Cabliers Bank to all bottom fishing, marking an important step toward increased deep-sea conservation in the Mediterranean Sea.
A coral in Cabliers Bank, a cold-water reef discovered during a 2010 Oceana expedition in the Mediterranean Sea.
A diver documents Malta’s marine life on an Oceana Ranger expedition in 2016.
Exposing bottom trawling
Just a couple miles from the Western Mediterranean’s coralcovered seamounts are areas that have been stripped bare by a destructive form of commercial fishing known as “bottom trawling,” where heavy weighted nets bulldoze everything in their path. In this photo, visible trawl marks cut into a seabed near Seco de los Olivos, off the coast of Southern Spain.
“Part of our work involves spending long hours in places where there’s nothing left — where bottom trawling has destroyed everything,” says Aguilar.
This scientific observation, boring as it may seem, is vital. By sampling the sediments and oxygen and pH levels of the water, scientists collect evidence that can help
protect more ocean habitat from destruction. “We know that bottom trawling is impacting the seabed, but often we don’t have the evidence to prove it,” says Aguilar. “Now, in part due to these efforts, more than half of European waters are protected from trawling.”
In recent years, both the EU and Member States are closing areas to the damaging activity. In 2022, the Spanish fishing administration issued a protective order officially prohibiting trawling on the top of the seamount in Seco de los Olivos.
We know that bottom trawling is impacting the seabed, but often we don’t have the evidence to prove it. Now, in part due to these efforts, more than half of European waters are protected from trawling.
The depths of plastic
The Mediterranean is not just abundant in fish. It is also brimming with plastic pollution and abandoned fishing nets. Oceana Senior Policy Advisor Agnes Lisik described “seeing human impact everywhere” on a Ranger expedition, the waters cluttered with colorful plastic bags. The cameras surface what nobody sees, former Oceana Senior Scientist Silvia García points out: “On the one hand, extremely valuable information about the species and habitat present, but on the other, the image of a sea turned into a dump.”
Oceana’s divers regularly find plastic bags, discarded nets, and other waste during expeditions.
Trawling tracks and a scarred seabed, as seen in an Oceana expedition in the Western Mediterranean.
– Ricardo Aguilar, Expedition Leader
Close to home
Over the two decades the Ranger has docked in the Balearic Islands, Oceana has undertaken at least seven expeditions in the waters surrounding the islands, putting together a picture of life in the water’s depths — from seagrass meadows and colorful corals to abundant grouper and striking nudibranchs. In 2019, after decades of campaigning, six expeditions, and hundreds of meetings with local and national leaders, Oceana won new protections for the Cabrera Archipelago Maritime-Terrestrial National Park, expanding the protected area to 10 times its original size. The park now includes the entire Cabrera Archipelago in the Balearic Islands.
The story is not over, however. As bottom trawling destroys ocean habitat, even inside areas that are protected on paper, Oceana continues to campaign on behalf of the oceans.
The future of the Ranger
Looking ahead, Oceana’s scientists are eager to continue exploring the ocean on board the Ranger. Through dives and data collection, they will keep pushing for protection, especially for kelp forests, ever-important allies in the fight against climate change.
“The Ranger has shown us time and again that when we shine a light on what’s beneath the surface, we can inspire change above it,” says Alvarez. “For over two decades, the Ranger has helped us uncover the hidden beauty and value of the ocean’s most important places. That evidence has allowed us to win protections — not just for marine life, but for the coastal communities that depend on it.”
A colorful nudibranch — also known as a sea slug — spotted during an Oceana expedition near the Balearic Islands.
Scientists aboard the Ranger film a dolphin.
Ask a Scientist
Dr. Max Valentine Campaign Director and Senior Scientist
Dr. Max Valentine is the campaign director and senior scientist for Oceana’s illegal fishing and transparency campaign in the United States.
Dr. Valentine has 15 years of research experience that she uses to lead Oceana’s efforts to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing by expanding transparency in fishing and traceability in the global fishing industry.
Is my fish fraudulent?
Chances are, you’ve consumed a seafood dinner that wasn’t all it claimed to be. The fish on your dinner plate may have led a more complicated life than most international spies. Before sizzling in your skillet or getting tucked into your tacos, it could have crossed oceans, swapped identities more than once, and passed through a cast of middlemen who couldn’t tell a grouper from a goldfish. By the time it reaches your fork, even expert seafood sleuths might struggle to say where it came from, or if it was caught legally at all. Recent investigations have shown that the fish in your favorite restaurant or grocery store — like Gulf of Mexico shrimp or red snapper — may be mislabeled.
Seafood fraud is a surprisingly common problem, and it’s not just about a few mislabeled fillets. Some substitutions are economic scams that lead customers to pay premium prices for cheaper fish
alternatives. Others are more serious: mislabeled fish can expose consumers to allergens, toxins, or even endangered species. For example, escolar, a fish often passed off as tuna or cod, is infamous for causing digestive distress. At the same time, seafood, if not properly handled, can make you sick. Around 260,000 people get sick from contaminated fish each year in the United States alone, with fish being the most common category of food responsible for foodborne illness outbreaks.
Part of the problem is that seafood supply chains are long, winding, and largely invisible to the average consumer. Fish can be caught in one country, processed in another, packaged in a third, and shipped halfway across the world before it ever hits a grocery shelf. Once it’s skinned, filleted, and frozen, most of the fish’s identifying features are gone. Unless you’re prepared to do
a DNA test on your dinner, there’s no easy way to tell whether you’re getting what you paid for.
These murky supply chains don’t just enable mislabeling, they create an opportunity for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing operations to thrive. Unscrupulous actors can mix illegally caught fish, including those from protected areas or caught using forced labor, into the legitimate supply with little risk of getting caught. This opens the door to widespread seafood fraud, where species are intentionally misrepresented to boost profits or evade trade restrictions. Without robust traceability requirements, it becomes nearly impossible to verify where, how, and by whom a fish was caught. This lack of accountability puts consumers at risk, undermines sustainable fisheries, threatens marine
ecosystems, and puts ethical producers at a disadvantage.
Still, all hope is not lost. Around the world, major markets are developing new regulations and technologies, like digital traceability systems; access to Wi-Fi for fishers; electronic monitoring; and vessel tracking to bring more transparency to the industry. DNA testing is also becoming more accessible and accurate. But policy changes take time, and in the meantime, there are things you can do to make a difference.
Start by asking questions. Before you place an order or drop a filet into your cart, ask the waiter or person behind the counter: “Where
is this fish from?” or “Is it wild or farmed?” If the seller can’t answer, consider choosing something else. Stick to trusted retailers and restaurants that prioritize traceability.
Yes, your fish might be fraudulent. But the tide is turning. As consumers grow more informed and vocal, pressure is mounting on the seafood industry to clean up its act, too. The more we demand transparency and traceability, the harder it becomes for illegal fishers and seafood fraudsters to operate in the dark. Until then, a little skepticism, and some smart shopping, can help ensure your next seafood dinner is the real deal.
This lack of accountability puts consumers at risk...threatens marine ecosystems, and puts ethical producers at a disadvantage.
Murky supply chains mean that the true source — and identity — of seafood can be difficult to decipher.
Oceana’s victories over the last year
With the help of its allies, Oceana has won 20 victories in the last 12 months
New law in U.S. state of Oregon eliminates plastic film bags at checkout
Washington state cuts plastic packaging and pollution
EU court upholds U.K. ban on sandeel fishing
Mexico establishes protected zone for Caribbean lobster and local fishers
United States’ coastlines permanently protected from new offshore drilling
Philippines installs tracking systems on 90% of commercial fishing vessels
EU reduces destructive bottom trawling in the Western Mediterranean
New measures and innovative gear will help save whales from entanglements in California crab fishery
Amazon removes plastic air pillows from delivery packaging globally
Mexico creates Southern Gulf of Mexico Reefs
National Park, largest protected area in the Gulf of Mexico
Chile approves management plan for Juan Fernández marine protected area
The United Kingdom commits to no new oil and gas drilling
U.S. state of California bans thick single-use plastic grocery bags
United States to eliminate single-use plastics across the federal government
New rules for California set gillnets will help prevent wildlife entanglements
New England cod nursery protected from proposed scallop dredging
U.S. state of Florida bans balloon releases, protects marine life
Canada protects 93% of underwater mountains off British Columbia with support from First Nations
European Union adopts nature restoration law, including new protections for marine habitats
Amazon eliminates plastic air pillows in North America
Supporter Spotlight
Patrice Etlin: Diving into ocean conservation
For 15 years, Patrice Etlin has embarked on expeditions around the world as a freediver and spearfisher — a passion he inherited from his father, a pioneer of spearfishing in Brazil. During these expeditions, Etlin plunged into waters populated by sharks, carpeted with vibrant corals, and swirling with columns of fish. But over time, he noticed these underwater worlds were changing.
Off the coast of Zanzibar, Tanzania, in the Indian Ocean, a location Etlin has visited every year for more than a decade, he saw corals damaged by destructive fishing methods. Sharks, a sign of healthy oceans, became less abundant, and fish harder to find. Local fishers had to go further out to sea than ever before. These observations led Etlin, a successful Brazilian private equity investor, to become a conservationist, and in 2024, an Oceana Board Member.
Etlin is struck by how Brazil’s oceans have changed in less than one generation. “I have a picture of my father after just going five to six meters down and catching these amazing giant groupers,” he says. “That kind of spearfishing doesn’t exist anymore. You are forced to go deeper and deeper to find fish, constantly diving below the 70-foot mark.”
Because of the deterioration Etlin has witnessed off Brazil’s coast, Zanzibar, and elsewhere, he decided to take action to preserve fish populations and help them recover. Oceana stood out because of its unique focus on the oceans. “It’s the only international NGO dedicated solely to ocean conservation, and it’s been very effective at scale by prioritizing policies and influencing legislation at the national level. That’s important to me,” says Etlin.
As an investor, Etlin is skilled at identifying good opportunities and promising companies, then helping them grow. “When I transfer these skills to philanthropy and direct my resources there, I look at the impact each dollar can generate for the causes and actions that are meaningful to me,” he explains. “I’m passionate about trying to help scale solutions and create the right initiatives to help us successfully protect and restore the world’s oceans.”
Looking ahead, Etlin says he’s excited to work with and learn from Oceana’s experts. “I’ve been exposed empirically to what’s happening in the oceans, and I enjoy learning about the science behind Oceana’s approach to these problems from the Board and staff,” he says. “We must help solve these issues for the next generation. I’m excited to play my part in that.”
A private equity investor, freediver, and conservationist, Patrice Etlin joined Oceana’s Board of Directors in 2024.
Chile is home to roughly a third of the world’s giant kelp.
Take a dive through these vital underwater canopies illustrated by Oceana’s Francisca Villalón
Get to know kelp forests: These strong, ribbon-like algae are called “giant kelp” for a reason. While ordinary kelp can grow up to 4 meters (over 13 feet) tall, giant kelp can grow over 10 times taller.
The role of kelp forests: Giant kelp forests provide food and shelter for ocean species, from sea stars to sea lions. They also help buffer Chile’s coasts from surging storms, which are growing more common with climate change.
Why they’re at risk: Giant kelp produces a gelatin-like substance used in cosmetics, food, and even dentistry. But giant kelp is being extracted at an unsustainable pace. Climate change also threatens the future of kelp forests.
What Oceana is doing: In 2024, Oceana successfully campaigned for Chile to approve the Benthic Law, which regulates how kelp can be extracted. The law also helps protect other species on the seabed, like sea urchins, crabs, and clams.
Photo by Eduardo Sorensen; kelp illustration by Sofia Ramirez
Off the coast of Lambayeque, Peru, fishers bring in the day’s catch.
