Briefing on US Leadership in Deep-Sea Research: Knowledge Gaps, Needs, & Opportunities

The US has many opportunities, needs, and challenges for deep-sea research to inform decision making, especially to address major knowledge gaps and technological limitations concerning emergent human uses of the deep sea for potential deep-sea mining and marine and subseafloor carbon dioxide removal strategies. The NSF-funded COBRA project that aims to accelerate research of the deep sea to inform decision making convened an expert panel to discuss these knowledge gaps, needs, and challenges as well as opportunities for US leadership. We invited representatives of executive agencies, legislative staff, and civil society organizations to join this conversation at the COBRA Side Event at AGU 2024, held Tuesday December 10, 2024 at the Westin DC Downtown.

See this document for the key messages (background, knowledge gaps, challenges, and opportunities) from this briefing on:

• Deep-sea considerations for the US Academic Research Fleet
• Deep-sea considerations for mCDR (marine Carbon Dioxide Removal) research
• Deep-sea considerations for deep-sea mining research
• Deep-sea considerations for NOAA Ocean Exploration
• Deep-sea considerations for BOEM Critical Minerals research, and
• Deep-sea considerations for technology R&D