- “I could not be more delighted to celebrate this inaugural International Day of the Deep Seabed,” writes the secretary-general of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) in a new op-ed at Mongabay.
- On Nov. 1, 2025, she notes that the world will for the first time mark a day that celebrates the great biodiversity of the planet’s mysterious deep seabed and its potential role in the future of humanity’s progress, while reiterating that consensus-building among member states and nongovernmental actors remains critical to ensure its stewardship.
- “Together, by delivering on our commitments under the Law of the Sea, we can ensure that this last great frontier remains a source of wonder, discovery, opportunity and shared benefit for all humankind,” she argues.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
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Beneath the waves of the high seas, beyond the national borders of any country, lies the deep seabed. Known in international law as the “Area,” it covers 54% of the global ocean and lies at depths from 200 to 10,000 meters (from 660 to almost 33,000 feet) below the ocean’s surface.
It is home to ancient geological formations and ecosystems that most may not know enough about to even picture in their mind: abyssal plains, seamounts and hydrothermal vents, some soaring 35 m (115 ft) high, millions of years in the making. These ecosystems exist in extreme conditions of perpetual darkness, high pressure and near-freezing temperatures. Even in these circumstances, life finds a way, largely living on chemical versus sunlight sources of energy.
Geological processes in the Area have led to rich mineral resources, including polymetallic nodules, polymetallic sulfides and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts, among others, that could play a role in the future of humanity’s progress.
A jellyfish (family Rhopalonematidae) photographed at a depth of around 3,000 m (9,800 feet) at the Utu seamount off American Samoa in 2017. Image by NOAA Ocean Exploration via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0).
It is through this lens that I could not be more delighted to celebrate this inaugural International Day of the Deep Seabed.
Proposed by the governments of Fiji, Jamaica, Malta and Singapore, their initiative reflects a shared commitment to raising awareness about the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the 1994 Implementation Agreement. These brought into existence the International Seabed Authority (ISA), to collectively ensure that deep seabed resources are managed and protected equitably, whether for a landlocked or coastal country, from Global South to Global North, for present and future generations.
Nearly 60 years ago, a visionary Maltese diplomat named Arvid Pardo stood before the United Nations and argued that the riches of the deep seabed should not become the private property of the powerful few. Instead, they should be treated as a shared legacy, to be used for peaceful purposes and for the benefit of all. This concept, the idea that some parts of our world cannot belong to any one state or private entity, represents a great aspiration: that the deep seabed’s mineral resources be considered the common heritage of all humankind.
Pardo’s vision contributed to the mandate of the ISA, the organization that I now have the honor to lead as secretary-general.
The International Day of the Deep Seabed invites us to build upon these visionary foundations and to look beyond our usual horizons, to think — perhaps for the very first time — about a part of our planet that most will never see nor consider.
Launching equipment used in deep-sea mining. Image courtesy of Richard Baron/The Metals Company.
Through its mandate, the ISA, which now has 170 member states and the European Union, acts as a steward to organize and control deep seabed activities, including exploration and possible exploitation, to ensure benefits are shared equitably, particularly with care for developing states, and that the environment is safeguarded through continuous progress in science, technology and innovation.
In short, we work to balance opportunity with responsibility.
This matters now because the deep seabed is no longer a distant dream. Increasingly, technological advances that allow for precision and selectivity will allow us to access minerals in these hadal depths. Their potential value for the green energy transition may be significant. Therefore, we must ask: at what cost and under what conditions should these resources be used?
This is why organizations like ours are firmly anchored in concepts such as the precautionary principle, a risk management strategy where, in the face of potential harm to human health or the environment, preventive action is taken even if there is a lack of full scientific understanding; and the evolutionary approach, where we evolve standards and guidelines as we test and gain more and better information to improve our decision-making.
An anemone rests between polymetallic nodules on the Pacific seafloor. Image by Geomar Bilddatenbank via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
Crucially, we must also be steered by rules that provide a clear road map for those engaging in the activities, by which we can monitor and ensure transparency, inclusivity, sustainability and accountability; rules to which all member states have agreed by consensus.
Indeed, developing and designing these rules is our most urgent mission and obligation.
Recently, some have challenged the time ISA member states are taking to establish these rules (the Mining Code). But I beg to differ.
The process of consensus-building, though painstaking, represents one of the most noble forms of human cooperation. It is deliberate and inclusive, precise and risk-taking, involving governments, scientists, environmental organizations and industry stakeholders, all aiming to increase scientific knowledge while accommodating many different positions. Honoring this process pays tribute to the common commitment to set up the best fit-for-purpose rules prior to exploitation. Rushing ahead without safeguards delivered by the Mining Code would betray our duty as collective stewards of this shared resource.
With this view, the ISA’s responsibility is both practical and moral. Practically, we control and regulate activities in the Area. Morally, we carry the trust of the international community to ensure that the common heritage of humankind is respected, and its promises delivered. In this role, we must be vigilant against attempts to bypass or undermine multilateral governance. The rules we design, together, through the ISA, are the only way to guarantee that fairness, equity and environmental protection remain at the heart of decisions affecting more than a third of the planet’s surface.
The dumbo octopus is a species only found in the deep sea. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration.
Decisions made today will shape the health of our oceans for centuries. Exploration has already produced important scientific insights and has helped map resources, habitats and biodiversity. Mining, if undertaken responsibly under ISA regulations, has the potential to generate revenue and technology transfer that can benefit all countries, especially developing states. Our challenge is to ensure that these opportunities are seized conscientiously, balancing economic, environmental and social considerations.
On this International Day of the Deep Seabed, I invite the global community to embrace the vision of Arvid Pardo and to reaffirm the principle of the common heritage of humankind. Let us acknowledge the choices before us: will we allow short-term interests to dictate, or will we rise to the challenge of stewardship and demonstrate the fore of multilateralism? Will we protect the deep seabed, not in a race for a prize to be divided, but as a responsibility to be shared?
The deep seabed is a legacy entrusted to us by nature and by history. It is our duty to manage it for those who will inherit the Earth after us.
Together, by delivering on our commitments under the Law of the Sea, we can ensure that this last great frontier remains a source of wonder, discovery, opportunity and shared benefit for all humankind.
Banner image: A deep-sea worm. Image courtesy of IFREMER.
Leticia Carvalho is a Brazilian oceanographer and secretary-general of the International Seabed Authority.
Related audio from Mongabay’s podcast: Frustration with the result of the last UN climate conference (COP29) spurred former U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres — under whose leadership the Paris Agreement was struck — to urge an overhaul of the process, yet she remains highly optimistic about the world’s appetite to take meaningful climate action, listen here:
See related coverage and commentary about mining the deep seas:
Deep-sea mining is a false solution to our challenges (commentary)
Mining the deep-sea could further threaten endangered sharks and rays
U.S. federal agency clears ways for deep-sea mining — and companies are lining up
On first International Day of the Deep Seabed, we seek stewardship and consensus (commentary)
LATEST NEWS
On first International Day of the Deep Seabed, we seek stewardship and consensus (commentary)
See All Key Ideas
Beneath the waves of the high seas, beyond the national borders of any country, lies the deep seabed. Known in international law as the “Area,” it covers 54% of the global ocean and lies at depths from 200 to 10,000 meters (from 660 to almost 33,000 feet) below the ocean’s surface.
It is home to ancient geological formations and ecosystems that most may not know enough about to even picture in their mind: abyssal plains, seamounts and hydrothermal vents, some soaring 35 m (115 ft) high, millions of years in the making. These ecosystems exist in extreme conditions of perpetual darkness, high pressure and near-freezing temperatures. Even in these circumstances, life finds a way, largely living on chemical versus sunlight sources of energy.
Geological processes in the Area have led to rich mineral resources, including polymetallic nodules, polymetallic sulfides and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts, among others, that could play a role in the future of humanity’s progress.
A jellyfish (family Rhopalonematidae) photographed at a depth of around 3,000 m (9,800 feet) at the Utu seamount off American Samoa in 2017. Image by NOAA Ocean Exploration via Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0).
It is through this lens that I could not be more delighted to celebrate this inaugural International Day of the Deep Seabed.
Proposed by the governments of Fiji, Jamaica, Malta and Singapore, their initiative reflects a shared commitment to raising awareness about the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the 1994 Implementation Agreement. These brought into existence the International Seabed Authority (ISA), to collectively ensure that deep seabed resources are managed and protected equitably, whether for a landlocked or coastal country, from Global South to Global North, for present and future generations.
Nearly 60 years ago, a visionary Maltese diplomat named Arvid Pardo stood before the United Nations and argued that the riches of the deep seabed should not become the private property of the powerful few. Instead, they should be treated as a shared legacy, to be used for peaceful purposes and for the benefit of all. This concept, the idea that some parts of our world cannot belong to any one state or private entity, represents a great aspiration: that the deep seabed’s mineral resources be considered the common heritage of all humankind.
Pardo’s vision contributed to the mandate of the ISA, the organization that I now have the honor to lead as secretary-general.
The International Day of the Deep Seabed invites us to build upon these visionary foundations and to look beyond our usual horizons, to think — perhaps for the very first time — about a part of our planet that most will never see nor consider.
Launching equipment used in deep-sea mining. Image courtesy of Richard Baron/The Metals Company.
Through its mandate, the ISA, which now has 170 member states and the European Union, acts as a steward to organize and control deep seabed activities, including exploration and possible exploitation, to ensure benefits are shared equitably, particularly with care for developing states, and that the environment is safeguarded through continuous progress in science, technology and innovation.
In short, we work to balance opportunity with responsibility.
This matters now because the deep seabed is no longer a distant dream. Increasingly, technological advances that allow for precision and selectivity will allow us to access minerals in these hadal depths. Their potential value for the green energy transition may be significant. Therefore, we must ask: at what cost and under what conditions should these resources be used?
This is why organizations like ours are firmly anchored in concepts such as the precautionary principle, a risk management strategy where, in the face of potential harm to human health or the environment, preventive action is taken even if there is a lack of full scientific understanding; and the evolutionary approach, where we evolve standards and guidelines as we test and gain more and better information to improve our decision-making.
An anemone rests between polymetallic nodules on the Pacific seafloor. Image by Geomar Bilddatenbank via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0).
Crucially, we must also be steered by rules that provide a clear road map for those engaging in the activities, by which we can monitor and ensure transparency, inclusivity, sustainability and accountability; rules to which all member states have agreed by consensus.
Indeed, developing and designing these rules is our most urgent mission and obligation.
Recently, some have challenged the time ISA member states are taking to establish these rules (the Mining Code). But I beg to differ.
The process of consensus-building, though painstaking, represents one of the most noble forms of human cooperation. It is deliberate and inclusive, precise and risk-taking, involving governments, scientists, environmental organizations and industry stakeholders, all aiming to increase scientific knowledge while accommodating many different positions. Honoring this process pays tribute to the common commitment to set up the best fit-for-purpose rules prior to exploitation. Rushing ahead without safeguards delivered by the Mining Code would betray our duty as collective stewards of this shared resource.
With this view, the ISA’s responsibility is both practical and moral. Practically, we control and regulate activities in the Area. Morally, we carry the trust of the international community to ensure that the common heritage of humankind is respected, and its promises delivered. In this role, we must be vigilant against attempts to bypass or undermine multilateral governance. The rules we design, together, through the ISA, are the only way to guarantee that fairness, equity and environmental protection remain at the heart of decisions affecting more than a third of the planet’s surface.
The dumbo octopus is a species only found in the deep sea. Image courtesy of the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research, 2019 Southeastern U.S. Deep-sea Exploration.
Decisions made today will shape the health of our oceans for centuries. Exploration has already produced important scientific insights and has helped map resources, habitats and biodiversity. Mining, if undertaken responsibly under ISA regulations, has the potential to generate revenue and technology transfer that can benefit all countries, especially developing states. Our challenge is to ensure that these opportunities are seized conscientiously, balancing economic, environmental and social considerations.
On this International Day of the Deep Seabed, I invite the global community to embrace the vision of Arvid Pardo and to reaffirm the principle of the common heritage of humankind. Let us acknowledge the choices before us: will we allow short-term interests to dictate, or will we rise to the challenge of stewardship and demonstrate the fore of multilateralism? Will we protect the deep seabed, not in a race for a prize to be divided, but as a responsibility to be shared?
The deep seabed is a legacy entrusted to us by nature and by history. It is our duty to manage it for those who will inherit the Earth after us.
Together, by delivering on our commitments under the Law of the Sea, we can ensure that this last great frontier remains a source of wonder, discovery, opportunity and shared benefit for all humankind.
Banner image: A deep-sea worm. Image courtesy of IFREMER.
Leticia Carvalho is a Brazilian oceanographer and secretary-general of the International Seabed Authority.
Related audio from Mongabay’s podcast: Frustration with the result of the last UN climate conference (COP29) spurred former U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres — under whose leadership the Paris Agreement was struck — to urge an overhaul of the process, yet she remains highly optimistic about the world’s appetite to take meaningful climate action, listen here:
See related coverage and commentary about mining the deep seas:
Deep-sea mining is a false solution to our challenges (commentary)
Mining the deep-sea could further threaten endangered sharks and rays
U.S. federal agency clears ways for deep-sea mining — and companies are lining up
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