The U.S. Geological Survey Global Seabed Mineral Resources report highlights the vast potential of critical minerals beneath the U.S. seabed—an area larger than the nation’s landmass. The USGS provides impartial data on mineral locations, formation processes, and environmental impacts to guide responsible resource development. Key minerals include nickel, cobalt, manganese, and rare earth elements, essential for national security, technology, and energy. This work supports informed decisions and future exploration in U.S. and international waters. They write:
Minerals can be found in every ocean basin, from the coastal zone to the deep ocean (USGS, 2022b). In the deep ocean, exploration is ongoing for polymetallic nodules,
polymetallic sulfides, and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts.
These minerals are considered a potential future source of many elements, including some elements that are designated as critical minerals (table 1). Critical minerals that are
abundant in sea-floor deposits include nickel, cobalt, and manganese. These minerals are crucial components in stainless steel, superalloys, and batteries. The rare earth elements and yttrium, often abbreviated as REY, are a group of 17 elements. Two of these, neodymium and dysprosium, are used in permanent magnets and lasers.
Table 1. Elements found in seabed minerals.
[The term “potential byproducts” indicates elements that are not a main product of a potential mining operation but could possibly be produced in addition to the main
products. REY, rare earth elements including yttrium; —, not applicable]
*Included in the 2022 list of critical minerals (USGS, 2022a)
Where Are Seabed Minerals Found?
Seabed minerals occur in every ocean basin, including within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (Hein and others, 2005), which is larger than the land area of the United States, as well as the Extended Continental Shelf (U.S. Department of State, 2023). However, as of 2025, only a few of these locations have sufficient data to determine whether they have deposits, defined as mineral concentrations that could be viable for commercial production.
The map shows prospective regions, or regions where minerals may occur based on geological and oceanographic criteria, for polymetallic nodules and cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts. The map also outlines mid-ocean ridges and back arc basins, which, along with volcanic arcs, are regions where hydrothermal vents form. Under certain conditions, hydrothermal vents can form polymetallic sulfide deposits. As of 2025, there are only a handful of locations where enough data have been collected on the grade and tonnage of these minerals for the term “deposit” to be used with confidence.
