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Earthjustice attorney David Henkin, left, and Rudy Bartley, a member of the nonprofit groups Faasao Amerika Samoa and Puipui Measina a Amerika Samoa, take part in the Stand with the Moana demonstration to support and protect the ocean on July 16, 2026 on the Utulei shore in American Samoa. The event was organized by Finafinau, a nonprofit environmental advocacy group. (Gabby Faʻaiʻuaso for Earthjustice)
Press Release August 18, 2026

Lawsuit Targets First Deep-Sea Mining Lease Sale in U.S. Waters

Groups seek to protect imperiled species from underwater mining activities in American Samoa
document August 18, 2026

Complaint: Deep-Sea Mining in American Samoa

Plaintiffs Fa‘asao Amerika Samoa and Conservation Council for Hawai‘i hereby complain of the actions of Defendants National Marine Fisheries Service and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. The United States has…
Polymetallic nodules, misshapen black globes encrusted with coveted metals like cobalt, nickel and manganese, taken from the ocean floor. (William West / AFP via Getty Images)
Press Release August 17, 2026

Second Deep-Sea Mining Lease Sale Announced Off of Mariana Islands and Guam

Trump administration accelerates reckless plan to open Pacific to deep-sea mining
The sun rises over Matagorda Bay in Texas. (ImageTek / CC BY 2.0)
Press Release: Victory August 13, 2026

Court Blocks Oil Export Project in the Gulf of Mexico

A federal appeals court rejected federal approval for the Texas GulfLink project; the same project secured $2 billion in funding through Trump’s trade deal with Japan
Fish swim around staghorn coral colonies in the Florida Keys. (Fish and Wildlife Research Institute / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Press Release: Victory August 13, 2026

Conservationist Lawsuit Alerts to Rare Coral Peril; U.S. Corps of Engineers Halts Fort Lauderdale Dredging

Silt and sediment threatens imperiled staghorn coral and queen conch
Pelika Andrade, pictured on the island of Nihoa, has spent nearly 20 years protecting Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. (Photo courtesy of Pelika Andrade)
Article August 12, 2026

The Pacific Ocean Fed Her Community for Generations. Now It’s Under Attack by the Trump Administration

Pelika Andrade has spent nearly 20 years protecting Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Trump’s plan to allow commercial fishing there could undo it all.
In the News: Courthouse News Service August 10, 2026

Alaskan fishing management on the hook in Ninth Circuit

Kate Glover, Attorney, Alaska Office: “All the court needs to decide is a straightforward legal question: Can the Fisheries Service meet its obligation to minimize all adverse effects on all designated essential fish habitat by using only two tests to identify those adverse effects?”
In the News: Inside Climate News August 7, 2026

Trump Promotes Commercial Fishing in Protected Pacific Marine National Monuments

David Henkin, Attorney, Mid-Pacific Office: “We’re planning to take the administration to court and sue them. The proclamation itself is unconstitutional, illegal, and any efforts to implement the proclamation and give the green light to commercial fishing would be likewise illegal.”
A stunning array of corals and sponges on Retriever Seamount. This high diversity and density was characteristic of what scientists saw during a deep-sea expedition. (NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research / Deep Connections 2019)
From the Experts August 6, 2026

Breaking Down Deep-Sea Mining Regulatory Authority

Understanding the U.S. and international laws that regulate deep-sea mining.
Fish swim around staghorn coral colonies in the Florida Keys. (Fish and Wildlife Research Institute / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Press Release August 6, 2026

Conservationists Challenge Dredging Project Near Port Everglades Over Endangered Species Act Violations

Groups file lawsuit to protect imperiled Florida corals
document August 5, 2026

Motion for Preliminary Injunction: Ft. Lauderdale Dredging

Plaintiffs seek court order to halt dredging at Port Everglades Inlet Sand Bypass Project in Ft Lauderdale, due to flawed biological opinions by the National Marine Fisheries Service which underestimated…
document August 4, 2026

Complaint: Ft. Lauderdale Sand Bypass Dredging

Plaintiffs challenge the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and National Marine Fisheries Service for violating the Endangered Species Act and the Administrative Procedure Act by approving the Port Everglades Inlet…
In the News: AP July 17, 2026

U.S. plans to auction off sections of water around American Samoa in a push for deep-sea mining

J.V. Langkilde, Attorney, Tribal Partnerships Program: “The Trump administration continues to bow to this untested, extractive industry and seeks to make American Samoa one of the first test sites.”
Starfish in bamboo coral, one of the rich deep-sea marine life in Rose Atoll. (NOAA Okeanos Explorer)
Press Release July 16, 2026

Trump Administration Announces American Samoa Deep-Sea Mining Lease Sale

Environmental and community groups condemn reckless proposal that threatens ocean life and cultural practices
document July 15, 2026

Fact Sheet: American Samoa Deep Sea Mining and Monuments (Samoan)

The Trump administration is trying to open marine waters around the Pacific to highly destructive industrial activities. Earthjustice is supporting local groups in American Samoa and beyond to respond. (Text…
document July 15, 2026

Fact Sheet: American Samoa Deep Sea Mining and Monuments (English)

The Trump administration is trying to open marine waters around the Pacific to highly destructive industrial activities. Earthjustice is supporting local groups in American Samoa and beyond to respond.
In the News: The Washington Post July 9, 2026

Government considers unusual site for launching space missions

Steve Mashuda, Managing Attorney, Oceans Program: “Letting the oil-and-gas industry off the hook so billionaires can launch rockets and spew more toxics into our public waters is a massive insult to Gulf communities and poses a new threat to vulnerable marine life.”
Un pez cirujano de cola amarilla (Prionurus punctatus) pasta sobre rocas en aguas poco profundas del Golfo de California. (Brent Durand / Getty Images)
Article June 12, 2026

Protegiendo el ‘Acuario del Mundo’ de la Industria Gasífera

La industria de los combustibles fósiles quería convertir el Golfo de California —hogar de miles de especies marinas— en un centro de operaciones de gas, pero fracasó. Nos asociamos con…