Habitat Committee urges council to help craft letters on Ocean Observing Initiative and deep-sea mining

The council's Habitat Committee presented two briefing products intended to give council members and advisory bodies more time to digest habitat items before in‑meeting deliberations. Dr. Hapelle summarized key items including concerns about seabed mining, regulatory changes under the Endangered Species Act, and updates on ocean observing and aquaculture initiatives.

On seabed mining, Hapelle said research gaps remain and urged the council to consider a committee response to a National Ocean Service request for input. "Deep sea mining is likely to affect both fish and fisheries through both direct habitat impacts and indirect changes to ocean conditions," Hapelle told the council, and he recommended the Habitat Committee help draft a response by the NOS November 27 deadline.

Members also discussed the Department of Interior/Commerce rule rescinding the prior regulatory definition of "harm" under the ESA and noted potential consequences for habitat protection and salmon species. On the Ocean Observing Initiative, the committee recommended preparing input to NSF's adjunct process (a September 30 opportunity). Committee members flagged a suite of other items — a large kelp aquaculture project off Ventura, Navy Northwest Training & Testing SEIS reviews, and NOAA habitat restoration awards — and asked staff to coordinate potential draft letters and workload planning for November.