Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Topic: Mineral development

A metal box about 29.5 inches x 29.5 inches holds numerous round, dark nodules, presumed to contain critical minerals, each a few inches in diameter, in reddish-brown mud collected from the abyssal seafloor.

NOAA releases first images of nodules from waters near American Samoa

April 17, 2026

Focus areas:

Research

Ocean & Coasts

Topics:

mineral development

deep seabed mining

A large white NOAA ship sits at anchor in a calm blue sea, framed by a clear sky with scattered clouds and a distant range of mountains.

NOAA ship to map potential critical mineral deposits in U.S. waters of Pacific Ocean

March 27, 2026

Focus areas:

Topics:

NOAA to map critical mineral deposits in deep waters off American Samoa

January 22, 2026

Focus areas:

Topics:

Subscribe to mineral development