On April 30, 2025, Ocean Conservancy’s external affairs vice president, Jeff Watters, publicly criticized efforts to expedite deep-sea mining permits under the Trump administration, arguing that bypassing international regulatory frameworks could lead to irreversible environmental harm.

Ocean Conservancy issued a statement condemning President Trump’s executive order that directs NOAA to permit deep-sea mining. The organization warned that bypassing international consensus and undermining NOAA’s mission to safeguard the ocean could have devastating impacts on marine ecosystems and the nation’s fishing industry.

On April 17, 2025, Ocean Conservancy’s Senior Director for the Fish Conservation Program issued a statement condemning the Trump Administration's executive order titled “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.” The statement cited actions such as firing NOAA experts, delaying fishing seasons, and disrupting ocean science as undermining sustainable fisheries and risking the decline of healthy U.S. seafood resources.

On January 21, 2025, Ocean Conservancy issued a statement condemning President Trump's executive actions that they argue will undermine progress in ocean protection. The organization, led by its senior director of climate policy, criticized the rollback of environmental policies, particularly actions that impede the development of renewable offshore wind energy and promote offshore oil and gas operations.

Ocean Conservancy published an article on December 18, 2024, urging for an international moratorium on deep-sea mining. The organization argues that deep-sea mining would have disastrous ecological impacts and could further enable authoritarian economic leverage, particularly benefiting countries like China through control over critical mineral supply chains. This position emphasizes protecting vulnerable communities and marine ecosystems by challenging exploitative practices and inequitable economic arrangements.

Ocean Conservancy's Government Relations team mobilizes over a million supporters to engage with legislators in Washington DC, advocating for marine debris funding, ocean acidification research, and key legislative provisions like those in the Magnuson Stevens Act. This advocacy highlights proactive democratic engagement by ensuring that diverse voices influence policymaking, countering partisan and authoritarian trends.

In a detailed blog post published on December 13, 2023, Ocean Conservancy outlines the severe risks posed by deep-sea mining to fragile marine ecosystems, calling for a global moratorium on seabed mining and urging the Biden administration to impose a ban in United States federal waters. The post emphasizes potential ecological devastation, loss of newly discovered species, and the undue influence of corporate mining interests on international governance bodies such as the International Seabed Authority.

Ocean Conservancy released a science-based brief reviewing the climate implications and environmental risks of deep-sea mining. The report highlights significant governance and knowledge gaps, ultimately arguing that deep-sea mining should not be permitted until these uncertainties are resolved. This analysis supports sustainable ocean policies and aligns with progressive, anti-authoritarian environmental advocacy.