NOAA Maps 97% of Mariana Lease Areas

Deep-sea expeditions near Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands have mapped nearly all proposed marine critical minerals lease sale areas at high resolution.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Geography

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NOAA Ocean Exploration completed deep-sea mapping of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone around the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. Approximately 97% of the proposed lease sale areas have now been mapped at high resolution.

Why it matters

The mapping supports federal efforts to responsibly manage seabed minerals under an executive order on offshore resources. The Marine Minerals Administration is preparing prospective lease sales for marine critical minerals exploration in the region.

Sentry, an autonomous underwater vehicle from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, collected high-resolution seafloor imagery during two 2026 Nautilus expeditions. Mapping of the remaining 3% of lease areas and the resource potential of the surveyed terrain have not been reported.

The players

NOAA Ocean Exploration

The federal program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that conducts deep-sea exploration and seafloor mapping across U.S. waters.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

A private research institution in Massachusetts widely known for ocean science and the development of autonomous underwater vehicles such as Sentry.

Marine Minerals Administration

The federal body preparing prospective lease sales for marine critical minerals exploration in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone around the Northern Mariana Islands.

The details

NOAA Ocean Exploration conducted two expeditions aboard Exploration Vessel Nautilus in 2026, with the autonomous vehicle Sentry mapping the seafloor. Contractor Woolpert used Saildrone Surveyor uncrewed surface vehicles to fill gaps in the eastern portions of the zone. Western parts have been identified as areas of interest for polymetallic sulfides, while eastern regions may contain abyssal polymetallic nodules.

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

Big Picture

The mapping work carries out the goals of the executive order 'Unleashing America's Offshore Minerals and Resources,' which calls for responsible management of seabed minerals. It moves federal offshore mineral development from broad planning toward concrete lease preparation in Pacific waters near Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.

Mapping data from the CNMI EEZ will be made publicly available through the NOAA Marine Critical Minerals Dataset, letting researchers and the public access the seafloor surveys directly. The data may inform future decisions on where and how marine critical minerals are explored in U.S. waters.

The takeaway

Public access to high-resolution seafloor data lets outside researchers evaluate offshore mineral potential rather than relying solely on agency reporting. Readers interested in deep-sea resources can follow how the dataset is published and used as lease planning moves forward.