On July 19, join a global wave of ocean lovers taking ot the water to stop deep-sea mining. As governments meet to decide the ocean's fate, paddle out, swim, surf or rally on your nearest shoreline.
Defend the deep, protect our future
Scientists in recent decades have uncovered a previously unknown wealth of life in the dark depths of the ocean. Cold-water corals, sponge fields, seamounts, hydrothermal vents and a multitude of other ecosystems are home to strange and mysterious creatures found nowhere else on Earth.
We are just beginning to discover how these extraordinary ecosystems can offer humankind new scientific avenues and answers about the nature of life itself. But these fragile places and their remarkable biodiversity are threatened by climate change, deep-sea fishing, deep-sea mining and other human activity. The Deep Sea Conservation Coalition (DSCC) wants robust action to be taken to protect the ocean depths, their remarkable species and the secrets they hold.
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Call on governments to help secure a global end to bottom trawling on high seas seamounts by 2027
You can help stop deep-sea mining before it’s too late. Call on governments to support a moratorium today.
Latest News
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New Zealand Fisheries Act Amendments: A Threat to National Waters and Global Ocean Protection
May 25, 2026The New Zealand Parliament is considering several short-sighted amendments to the National Fisheries Act 1996 that would expand industry influence over fisheries management, bypass vital public oversight and undermine ocean protection goals.
The UN Bottom Fisheries Workshop and Review 2026: A Turning Point for the Deep Sea?
May 18, 2026The UN Bottom Fisheries Workshop in July 2026 marks a critical moment for deep-sea protection. Learn how bottom trawling threatens seamounts and what the international community must do to stop it.
Deep-Sea Mining: What the World Needs to Know - A 2026 Media and Policy Briefing Series
May 13, 2026In 2026, the DSCC will host a media and policy webinar series designed to equip journalists, governments, civil society and decision-makers with the facts, evidence, and context needed to navigate the deep-sea mining debate, and to cut through industry hype and misinformation. Across five concise, expert-led briefings, the series will examine why deep-sea mining is environmentally destructive, constrained by major scientific gaps, economically unsound, legally risky, fundamentally unnecessary, and why a moratorium remains the most responsible and evidence-based pathway forward.
Convention on Migratory Species COP15 recognizes importance of conserving the deep sea for ocean’s voyagers
March 30, 2026The 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) concluded with widespread support for a resolution and decision on prioritizing the protection of seamount ecosystems. Parties also reaffirmed the need for precaution with regards to deep-sea mining and for the industry not to proceed as long as scientific gaps remain.
ISA Council ends without Mining Code amid industry compliance concerns
March 19, 2026Two weeks of International Seabed Authority (ISA) Council negotiations have concluded with no mining approved and no Mining Code adopted. Unresolved issues ranged from environmental safeguards and liability to inspection, compliance, and benefit-sharing. Governments, including France, Costa Rica, South Africa on behalf of the Africa Group, Mexico, Germany, Palau, and Brazil, among others, raised major scientific, environmental, and governance gaps. Several States stressed that these issues must be fully resolved before any mining is considered.
The High Seas Treaty: What it is and what it means for the deep sea
March 23, 2026The High Seas Treaty (BBNJ Agreement) introduces new tools to safeguard the deep ocean’s extraordinary life and the critical services it provides. Learn more about the High Seas Treaty, what it means for the deep sea, challenges to overcome and opportunities for the future of ocean conservation.
Members
The work of the DSCC is made possible thanks to the dedication and expertise of our 115+ member organizations.