An American startup has applied to the Trump administration to explore 25 million acres of international seabed for manganese and other minerals just outside the exclusive economic zones of French Polynesia, the Cook Islands, and Kiribati.
American Deep Sea Minerals submitted the bid under the Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act, which permits U.S. companies to operate in high seas areas without international approval. The application, initially filed in August 2025 under the name Kraken Metals, remains open for public comment until August 3.
The target zone, known as Eastern High Seas Pocket 3, contains abundant tuna stocks and is surrounded by waters controlled by the three Pacific nations. Company CEO Graham Goulet, a San Francisco financial analyst, said the effort focuses on exploration and has not yet decided on commercial mining. The firm plans to charter the vessel MV Anuanua Moana from the Cook Islands.
French Polynesia established the world’s largest contiguous marine protected area last year and maintains its ban on seabed mining. The company’s move highlights ongoing U.S. efforts to advance the industry ahead of any global rules from the International Seabed Authority.
