The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will undertake a consensus study to recommend a research strategy on seabed mining for critical minerals.

Specifically, the research strategy will include:

• A high-level overview, based on published literature, of the technological feasibility and economic potential of extracting seabed minerals to include:

o The geologic resource potential of different deposit types, with a focus on seabed minerals of commercial interest;

o The global state of technology and industry practices in current use and under development, including for prospecting, geophysical and geological exploration, leasing, extraction, transportation, processing, monitoring, operations, inspections, testing, and at-sea waste disposal; and

o The near- to medium-term economic viability of seabed mineral extraction.

• Identification of information required to establish baseline conditions in habitats targeted for mining and surrounding areas. This will include a description of anticipated physical, chemical, biological, and geological impacts on the water column, seafloor, and subseafloor as a consequence of seabed mining activities for a variety of deposit types, marine environments, and mining technologies, addressing the following questions:

o What types of monitoring and at what spatial and temporal scales and what technologies will be needed to establish environmental baselines and identify impacts at all phases of projects, including assessing and monitoring recovery when mining operations cease?

o What potential pre- and post-lease requirements are most practicable to avoid or mitigate impacts?

o What indicators could be used to determine:

§ If pre- and post-lease requirements are adhered to?

§ If mining operations exceed a threshold that causes long term loss of biological resources and/or disruption of ecosystems within or beyond the immediate footprint of a specific seabed mining operation?

• The potential social, cultural, and economic impacts of seabed mining, including cumulative effects and possible methods to mitigate negative impacts. The following questions could be addressed, as appropriate and feasible:

o What approaches are available for resource managers to ensure that local knowledge is included in environmental analyses?

o What approaches could be taken to ensure appropriate consideration of potential impacts to tangible and intangible cultural heritage (including archeological and historic objects)?

o What indicators are available to assess potential social, cultural, and economic impacts in regions where mining is pursued?

o What are the information needs for establishing a baseline to determine social and cultural impacts at a particular site?