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

Rainier is a hydrographic survey ship staffed by NOAA Corps Officers and professional mariners. The first survey leg will focus on mapping with multibeam echo sounders in deep water. The second survey leg will use autonomous underwater vehicles from Orpheus Ocean to acquire high-resolution seabed imagery and geological samples, in partnership with the NOAA Ocean Exploration Cooperative Institute.

“Nearly half of U.S. waters, including this area of the Pacific, have not been mapped to modern standards,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., NOAA administrator. “The Rainier crew will collect high-resolution survey data in this area for the very first time to deepen our understanding of its seabed composition.”

NOAA will produce publicly accessible maps and images of these federal waters in the Pacific. These products will inform NOAA, other federal agencies and interested parties of the likelihood of finding critical mineral deposits in the surveyed area. This effort will generate high-quality, deep-ocean data to help increase the baseline understanding of the deep-ocean environment, as well as stimulate further potential exploration, research, and management projects, including activities related to critical minerals.

About deep-seabed mineral development

Deep-seabed mining is the extraction of nodules containing critical minerals from the ocean floor. Some regions of the deep seabed contain an abundance of valuable resources like manganese, nickel, cobalt, copper, and rare earth elements. Critical minerals are used in everything from defense systems and batteries to smartphones and medical devices and are increasingly important components for American manufacturing. Access to these minerals is a key factor in the resilience of U.S. supply chains. Learn more by visiting NOAA’s National Ocean Service website.


Climate, weather, and water affect all life on our ocean planet. NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict our changing environment, from the deep sea to outer space, and to manage and conserve America’s coastal and marine resources. See how NOAA science, services, and stewardship benefit your community: Visit noaa.gov for our latest news and features, and join us on social media.