A seabed excavation gold rush in the Pacific Ocean is creating divisions across Pacific nations. Geopolitical tensions are rising as the United States and China compete over deep-sea minerals in the region. The U.S. is preparing for its first significant seabed minerals lease sale off the Northern Mariana Islands.
Proponents are pressing Australia to enter a $41 trillion fight playing out in its backyard. The drive toward ocean minerals generates fault lines beneath the Blue Pacific. These unfolding changes strain the future of Pacific unity as competing countries compete.