Markets to Watch: Deep-Sea Mining

Mining the ocean floor below 200 meters (“deep-sea mining”) may present an as-yet unexploited repository of critical minerals needed for the clean energy transition.  Some estimate that the value of mineral resources on the sea floor may be worth as much as $20 trillion—but risks include an evolving regulatory and geopolitical landscape, environmental concerns about impacts to ocean health and biodiversity, and stakeholder hesitation about commercial viability.

Published 2025. 4 pages. PDF.

Authors: Shehnaz Shergill, MBA ’25, EDGE Fellow, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, and Katie Kross, MBA, Managing Director, Center for Energy, Development, and the Global Environment (EDGE), Duke University.

Special thanks to: Reece Pacheco, Vidya Mani, Dan Vermeer, and other reviewers.