How to Read the Environmental Footprint of Deep-Sea Mining Licences

Abyssal Claims is an interactive 3D map of the international seabed — designed for researchers, journalists, policymakers, and anyone who wants to understand what is happening on the ocean floor. This guide explains how to use the map effectively, what data layers are available, and how to get the most out of the tool.

Getting Started

Visit something-rare.com to open the map. No account is required.

On first load, you'll see the Pacific Ocean centred on the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), the most heavily contracted region for deep-sea mining. This is intentional: the CCZ is where the highest concentration of active ISA exploration contracts is located and where the environmental stakes are highest.

Navigation:

• Click and drag to rotate the globe
• Scroll or pinch to zoom in and out
• Click any layer element (a contract, a vent field, a data point) to open the detail panel

Data Layers

The map overlays multiple independent datasets. Each layer can be toggled on or off using the layer controls in the sidebar.

ISA Mining Concessions

The core layer. Every active exploration contract issued by the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is rendered as a polygon on the seafloor. Colours indicate resource type:

• Blue — Polymetallic nodules
• Orange — Cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts
• Red — Polymetallic sulphides (hydrothermal vent deposits)

Click any contract polygon to see contractor name, contract date, area in km², and resource category.

Hydrothermal Vent Fields

Sourced from the InterRidge Vents Database — the most comprehensive global catalogue of known hydrothermal vent sites.

Why it matters: Hydrothermal vents are targeted by polymetallic sulphide mining contracts. The spatial overlap between vent fields and active contracts — visible directly on the map — reveals the scale of potential conflict.

Biodiversity Observations (OBIS)

The Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS) provides species occurrence records from research expeditions and monitoring programmes. This layer helps answer: which contract areas overlap with documented species richness?

Interpretation note: OBIS data reflects where expeditions have gone, not where biodiversity is highest. Absence of data does not mean absence of life.

Argo Float Monitoring

Argo is a global array of robotic ocean floats. Each float dives to depth, collects temperature, salinity, and pressure data, then surfaces to transmit via satellite. The Argo layer shows current positions and recent tracks of floats near active contract zones.

Seamounts

Seamounts are underwater mountains that rise 1,000 metres or more from the seafloor. They support some of the most biodiverse communities in the deep ocean and are targeted by cobalt-crust mining contracts.

Using the Map for Research

Measuring Spatial Overlap

One of the most powerful features is the ability to visualise spatial conflicts between resource contracts and ecological data. With multiple layers enabled simultaneously, you can see at a glance where:

• ISA nodule contracts overlap with OBIS biodiversity hotspots
• Sulphide contracts sit directly on known hydrothermal vent fields
• Contract boundaries approach or breach APEI boundaries

Using the Map for Journalism

Verifying claims: When a company or government makes claims about the location or environmental context of a mining contract, the map lets you verify those claims against ISA data independently.

Finding overlap stories: The clearest stories often emerge from spatial overlap — a contract that sits directly on a vent field, or a proposed mining area that conflicts with a protected zone.

Data sourcing: All data layers are sourced from public, citable databases (ISA, InterRidge, OBIS, Argo). Each data point includes its source.