Seafloor Maps Cover 97% of Proposed Lease Areas

High-resolution US deep-sea surveys around the Northern Mariana Islands set the stage for prospective marine minerals leasing.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Geography

Autonomous underwater survey vehicle hovering over a dark, ridged deep-sea seafloor in deep blue water, with faint particulate drifting above the sediment. — NOAA completed deep-sea mapping of the US Exclusive Economic Zone around the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam in 2026, supporting prospective marine minerals leasing. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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NOAA Ocean Exploration completed deep-sea mapping of the US Exclusive Economic Zone around the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and Guam in 2026, across two expeditions aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus. The work is research and mapping data collection supporting prospective leasing; no leases have been issued and no extraction is reported.

Why it matters

The Marine Minerals Administration is preparing prospective lease sales for marine critical minerals exploration in the US EEZ around CNMI, and high-resolution seafloor maps are the groundwork such sales depend on. The mapping supports the US Executive Order 'Unleashing America's Offshore Minerals and Resources,' which calls for responsible management of seabed minerals.

The mapping covered a proposed lease sale area in which about 97% now has high-resolution coverage, with an additional 16% completed since January 2026. Western EEZ areas are flagged for polymetallic sulfides, while eastern regions may hold abyssal polymetallic nodules, though the source does not report measured mineral concentrations.

The players

NOAA Ocean Exploration

The federal ocean research program that ran the Nautilus expeditions and deep-sea mapping of the US EEZ around CNMI and Guam.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

A leading US ocean research institution whose Sentry autonomous underwater vehicle mapped the seafloor during the expeditions.

Woolpert

A geospatial mapping contractor that used Saildrone Surveyor uncrewed surface vehicles to fill deep-sea mapping gaps in the eastern EEZ.

Marine Minerals Administration

The federal body preparing prospective lease sales for marine critical minerals exploration in the US EEZ around CNMI.

The details

NOAA used the autonomous underwater vehicle Sentry, operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, to map the seafloor and collect high-resolution imagery during two Nautilus expeditions. Contractor Woolpert deployed Saildrone Surveyor uncrewed surface vehicles, which are wave-powered and remotely operated boats, to fill mapping gaps in the eastern part of the EEZ. High-resolution seafloor maps give planners a detailed picture of where mineral deposits sit before any leasing decision is made.

2025: Coast Survey contract project with Woolpert and Saildrone began.
January 2026: NOAA and partners began mapping the additional 16% of lease sale areas.
2026: Two Exploration Vessel Nautilus expeditions were conducted around CNMI and Guam.

The Tech Race

The mapping sits within the federal push to develop domestic offshore minerals under the executive order's framework for seabed resources. Survey coverage is being built out ahead of leasing, with the Marine Minerals Administration preparing prospective sales in the CNMI EEZ.

The mapping data will be publicly available through the NOAA Marine Critical Minerals Dataset, giving researchers and the public direct access to seafloor surveys. Prospective lease sales for marine critical minerals are being prepared, but the source gives no sale dates or timeline for any extraction.

The takeaway

Watch for the NOAA Marine Critical Minerals Dataset release, which will publish the CNMI EEZ mapping data publicly. Track the Marine Minerals Administration for its prospective lease sale notices as the mapped areas move toward leasing.