 ©Alejandra Victoria Chacon Farah Obaidullah, founder of The Ocean and Us, has wrapped up her three-week journey through Baja California as part of The Ocean Hope Expedition. Focused on raising awareness and resistance against deep-sea mining, the expedition's field mission began in Baja, the landmass closest to the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ)—a key area targeted for mining in the Pacific. Baja’s deep connection to the ocean made it an ideal starting point for this critical mission. “Mexico’s vast coastline, spanning nearly 10,000 kilometers, is rich in marine life and culture,” said Farah Obaidullah.“The ocean is ingrained in Baja’s identity, not only through stunning murals of whale sharks, whales, and turtles adorning the streets but also in the daily lives of its people. Many here live, work, and depend on the ocean—it's in their blood, woven into their traditions and livelihoods. These animals and ecosystems can’t become relics of the past—we must protect them by stopping deep-sea mining.” KEY INSIGHTS FROM THE EXPEDITION Resilience Amidst Challenges: Farah Obaidullah met with fishing communities transitioning into conservation and eco-tourism after decades of overfishing. “These are resilient people turning challenges into opportunities,” she noted. However, the impacts of climate change, such as unpredictable weather, threaten their livelihoods. Many are concerned that deep-sea mining will introduce yet another challenge, disrupting marine ecosystems and local fisheries. "If deep-sea mining moves forward, it will destroy everything. The Sea of Cortez is connected to the Pacific, so whatever happens there will inevitably impact us here. It would mean the end of our livelihoods." Alejandro Lucero - 4th generation fisherman, tour operator "People need to get informed and understand the threat of deep-sea mining. It might seem far away, but it could happen sooner than we think. Just like with climate change—we thought it was something for the future, and now it’s right on top of us. Deep-sea mining could be even worse. If it starts, it’ll be much harder to stop. That’s why we need to act now and prevent it before it’s too late.” James Ketchum - Pelagios Kakunjá  ©TheOceanandUs Whale Sharks and Deep-Sea Mining: Baja is one of the world’s few whale shark hotspots, with tourism supporting local economies. However, whale sharks are known to migrate through the Pacific Ocean and dive in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. “The deepest recorded dive of a whale shark is nearly 2,000 meters. We don’t yet know how deep-sea mining will affect whale sharks, but it’s clear that until we understand their life cycles, we can’t risk disrupting their environment”, Farah Obaidullah emphasized. Unified Opposition to Deep-Sea Mining: The communities Farah Obaidullah engaged with voiced strong opposition to deep-sea mining, citing concerns about unregulated impacts on fisheries, biodiversity, and their livelihoods. “People here understand the risks and are united in saying we can’t afford another assault on the ocean,” she added. "The ocean is life—for those of us on the coast and those in cities alike. Deep-sea mining threatens everyone’s future. We can’t wait to act; we must protect our oceans now, for the sake of nature and the quality of life we all share." – Judith Castro Lucero, conservationist and co-director of Amigos para la Conservación de Cabo Pulmo A.C., advocating to protect Cabo Pulmo National Park from harmful tourism development. A CALL FOR ACTION Farah Obaidullah also highlighted the region’s environmental challenges, including the loss of kelp forests due to human activities including human-induced climate change. Yet, her time in Mexico underscored the resilience and determination of communities fighting for ocean conservation. “Though we’ve only scratched the surface of how communities in Baja are grappling with the impacts of the climate crisis and other human activities like industrial fishing and pollution, one thing is clear: nobody we spoke with wants deep-sea mining to begin.” - Farah Obaidullah The Ocean Hope Expedition continues to rally global support for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. Through outreach and advocacy, it strives to protect vital ecosystems and ensure a sustainable future for oceans and coastal communities. With endorsements from 26 organizations and counting, the campaign seeks further support from businesses, educational institutions, and cultural centers worldwide to endorse the Deep-Sea Mining Declaration, urging global leaders to take action and establish a moratorium on deep-sea mining activities. Individuals can make an impact by signing the ‘Say NO to Deep-Sea Mining’ petition, which has already gathered over 344,000 signatures - with over 700 new sign-ons in the last few weeks. The goal is to reach 500,000 signatures ahead of the 2025 Seabed Authority discussions. In 2025, Farah Obaidullah will deliver both the Deep-Sea Mining Declaration and the Petition to the United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice and to the International Seabed Authority, amplifying global calls for a moratorium and urging leaders to prioritize marine protection over industrial exploitation. "Deep-sea mining is the first activity we can stop before it even starts. As a marine biologist, I’m really concerned about the creatures in the deep ocean that we haven’t even discovered yet. If mining destroys their habitat, we’ll lose the chance to learn about them forever. This is our shared patrimony, and as a young scientist, it worries me that we might miss these incredible discoveries in the future.” Valeria Magaña - SOA Mexico From top left to bottom right:
• Mobula Sea Café event in La Paz; • Panel discussion at Caracol, Museo de Ciencias, Ensenada with Dr. Luz Erandi Saldaña-Ruiz, Farah Obaidullah, marine ecologist Meliza Le Alvarado, biologist Santiago Cortes Vasquez of Terra Peninsular (Mexican nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving Baja California's ecosystems and wildlife), Marco Antonio Lazcano, Director of the Litigation Program at Defensa Ambiental del Noroeste (DAN); • Farah with the Baja Seasters in Ensenada; • Artistic Night at the Mobula Sea Café with artist and marine biologist Miguel Salazar, Hombre de Mar, journalist Carlos Ibarra, Farah, Frida Lara of Orgcas (multidisciplinary collective of marine biologists, creatives, lawyers, researchers and educators), and Alekz Aguila, Conexiones Climaticas; • Sunbathing sealions; • Farah Obaidullah preparing for a dive in Ensenada; • Dolphin sculpture in La Paz. ©TheOceanandUs Download the press release  🌊 Hope Comes in Waves: A Win for the Ocean! 🌊
The Norwegian government has hit pause on its plans to mine the deep sea for minerals—a major win for our ocean and for the growing global movement to stop deep-sea mining! As Norway pushed to open its seabed to destructive mining, opposition swelled not just within Norway but worldwide. Earlier this year, the European Parliament decisively opposed Norway’s plans to mine the Arctic seabed. The Ocean and Us was among those urging Members of Parliament to reject these destructive plans. This milestone shows the power of collective action: 🔹 Scientists, organizations, businesses, and ocean advocates worldwide are beating the drum for a moratorium on deep-sea mining. 🔹 Together, we are sending a clear message: the deep sea—our planet’s last great wilderness—is not up for grabs. While this is a huge step forward, the fight is far from over. We need to ensure that the High Seas, which belong to all of us, remain off limits to mining. 💪🏽 Here’s how you can help: 📢 Sign and share our petition to say NO to deep-sea mining. 📢 If you are a company, association or organisation or institution, endorse our declaration. 🤝 Support the movement by adopting a Deep-Sea Wonder. Remember, deep-sea mining is a disaster we can stop before it begins—but only if we stand together. Let’s keep the momentum going for a healthier, thriving ocean! 💙  Un fascinante recorrido por México unirá a defensores del medio ambiente, artistas, pescadores y comunidades locales en eventos que celebran la importancia de los mares y destacan la amenaza de la minería en aguas profundas. Con actividades en La Paz, Cabo Pulmo, La Ventana y Ensenada, Farah Obaidullah impulsará intercambios sobre conservación marina, buceará con expertos y explorará la biodiversidad junto a conservacionistas, artistas y ONGs locales.
El equipo está impaciente por escuchar las voces de las comunidades mexicanas que trabajan incansablemente para proteger y restaurar estos ecosistemas y por compartir sus historias con el mundo. A través de esta expedición, buscan amplificar estos esfuerzos, inspirar a la acción y fomentar conexiones más profundas con el océano mediante el poder de la narración. AGENDA MÉXICO NOVIEMBRE 2024 La Expedición Ocean Hope recorrerá la Península de Baja California en México este mes de noviembre, involucrando a las comunidades locales en eventos enfocados en la conservación de los océanos. • El 12 de noviembre, la expedición comienza en Casa Fandango en La Paz con una proyección del documental "In Too Deep, the True Cost of Deep Sea Mining", seguida de un panel de discusión con expertos marinos como James Ketchum (Pelagios Kakunjá), Alejandro Olivera (Centro para la Diversidad Biológica), la líder del SOA Mexico Hub, Valeria Magaña, y la fundadora de The Ocean and Us, Farah Obaidullah, con la moderación de Nora Torres de Beta Diversidad. • Como parte de su misión, Farah Obaidullah también participará en actividades prácticas de conservación, incluyendo el monitoreo de tiburones ballena con Whale Shark Mexico, una excursión de investigación con el equipo femenino de Orgcas y una sesión de buceo sostenible con pescadores locales en La Ventana. • El 16 de noviembre: Mobula Café en La Paz será sede de una velada creativa e interactiva con Farah, el artista Miguel "Hombre de Mar", el periodista Carlos G. Ibarra y Frida Lara de Orgcas, moderados por Alejandro de Conexiones Climáticas. • La expedición se trasladará a Cabo Pulmo el 17 de noviembre, donde el equipo visitará el Centro de Aprendizaje de Cabo Pulmo para una proyección de "In Too Deep, the True Cost of Deep Sea Mining" y un debate sobre el tema crítico de la minería en aguas profundas. Esto será seguido por un buceo con pescadores conservacionistas locales, incluida Judith Castro Lucero, cuya visión sobre prácticas sostenibles iluminará las conexiones entre la conservación marina y la resiliencia comunitaria. • La expedición culmina el 22 de noviembre en el Museo del Caracol en Ensenada con otra proyección y un panel de cierre en el que participarán Farah, Fernando Ochoa de DAN México y Terra Peninsular, moderado por Meliza Le Alvarado. Cada evento promueve el diálogo y la colaboración entre científicos, defensores y el público, destacando la necesidad de una acción colectiva para proteger nuestros océanos para las generaciones futuras. En 2025, Farah continuará involucrándose con diversas comunidades a lo largo de la costa oeste de América, con algunos puntos clave en Alaska, Canadá, California, así como en países de Centro y Sudamérica como Costa Rica, Perú y Chile. Descargar el comunicado de prensa An exciting journey across Mexico is set to bring together environmental advocates, artists, fishers and local communities through a series of impactful events celebrating the beauty and importance of the high seas while raising awareness about the growing threat of deep-sea mining. The itinerary includes screenings, panel discussions, artistic collaborations, and immersive marine activities in La Paz, Cabo Pulmo, La Ventana, and Ensenada. Farah Obaidullah will engage in conversations on ocean conservation, dive with marine experts, and explore biodiversity through hands-on experiences with local conservationists, artists, and NGOs.
The team is eager to hear the voices of Mexican communities working tirelessly to protect and restore these ecosystems and to share their stories with the world. Through this expedition, they aim to amplify these efforts, inspiring action and fostering deeper connections with the ocean through the power of storytelling. AGENDA MEXICO 2024 The Ocean Hope Expedition is set to travel along Mexico’s Baja Peninsula this month of November, engaging communities with events focused on ocean conservation. • On November 12, the expedition kicks off at Casa Fandango in La Paz with a screening of the documentary "In Too Deep, the True Cost of Deep Sea Mining" followed by a panel discussion featuring marine experts like James Ketchum (Pelagios Kakunjá), Alejandro Olivera (Center for Biological Diversity), and SOA Mexico Hub Leader Valeria Magaña, and The Ocean and Us founder Farah Obaidullah, moderated by Nora Torres from Beta Diversidad. • As part of her mission, Farah Obaidullah will also participate in hands-on conservation activities, including whale shark monitoring with Whale Shark Mexico, a research excursion with the all-female Orgcas team, and a sustainable diving session with local fishermen in La Ventana. • On November 16, Mobula Café in La Paz will host a creative and interactive evening with Farah, artist Miguel “Hombre de Mar,” journalist Carlos G. Ibarra, and Orgcas’s Frida Lara, moderated by Alejandro from Conexiones Climáticas. • The expedition moves to Cabo Pulmo on November 17th, where the team will visit the Cabo Pulmo Learning Centre for a screening of ´In Too Deep, the True Cost of Deep Sea Mining’ and discussion on the critical issue of deep-sea mining. This will be followed by a dive with local conservationist fishers, including Judith Castro Lucero, whose insights into sustainable practices will illuminate the connections between marine conservation and community resilience. • The expedition culminates on November 22 at Ensenada’s Museo del Caracol with another screening and a closing panel featuring Farah, Fernando Ochoa of DAN Mexico, and Terra Peninsular, moderated by Meliza Le Alvarado. Each event fosters dialogue and collaboration among scientists, advocates, and the public, highlighting the need for collective action to protect our oceans for generations to come. In 2025, Farah will continue to engage with various communities along the West coast of the Americas with some focal points in Alaska, Canada, California as well as Central and Southern American countries such as Costa Rica, Peru and Chile. Download the Press Release Have you heard of Ecocide Law? A campaign is underway to get the International Criminal Court to adopt Ecocide as the fifth international crime. The other four crimes currently recognised are: War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, Crimes of Aggression and Genocide. Once Ecocide gets adopted individuals can be held accountable for wilfully destroying the natural world. Deep-sea mining is ecocide. We know it will destroy ancient habitat, will impact the systems in the ocean that make life possible in ways we don't yet understand, and risks disturbing locked-away carbon. I was invited to speak on a panel at the European Parliament to discuss how criminalising ecocide will help save the ocean. Check out the recorded discussion here. Ecocide law is an imperative that will help normalise our moral obligation towards the natural world and our own future as well as to the fellow beings we share this beautiful planet with. For once we have the collective power to stop a disaster before it begins. We can despair about the state of the world or we can act! Just a few years no country was speaking out against deep-sea mining. Now 32 countries choose caution, dozens of companies say no to deep-sea mining and millions of people around the world are speaking out! Join the movement! Let's make sure those in power listen. - Endorse the Declaration calling on world leaders to secure a moratorium on dee-sea mining. - Sign and share our petition. More than 344,000 of you already have! If you, and everyone reading this, chips in just 10 - 20 Euro / dollar, or the equivalent of your favourite drink, then together we can stop deep-sea mining! Thank you! - Farah Obaidullah Founder of The Ocean and Us. 📸 ©Tiago Pires da Cruz  On October 3rd, the European Parliament in Brussels will host a groundbreaking discussion about the future of our ocean. Our seas are facing unprecedented threats—#DeepSeaMining, #Overfishing, and #Pollution are just a few of the forces putting marine ecosystems at risk. With the ocean covering over 70% of Earth’s surface and home to 80% of all life, the time to act is now! This event will dive into a bold idea: making ecocide—the large-scale destruction of ecosystems—a crime. Imagine if those who harm our oceans on a massive scale could be held legally accountable. The EU is already paving the way with its revised #EnvironmentalCrimesDirective, but this could be the game-changer that truly turns the tide for ocean protection. Farah Obaidullah from The Ocean and Us will be there, adding her voice to a panel of marine conservation champions including MEP Emma Fourreau, MEP Isabella Lövin, Matthew Gianni (Deep Sea Conservation Coalition), and Sue Miller (Stop Ecocide International). Together, they’ll explore how criminalising ecocide could reshape the future of ocean conservation. This conversation could spark the legal revolution our ocean so desperately needs. Stay tuned—big things are coming for the future of our planet’s lifeblood.   27 June 2024, The Hague / Lorient. The non-profit organisation The Ocean and Us has partnered with the professional offshore sailing Team Malizia to rally support for a moratorium on deep-sea mining and secure the protection of the High Seas, our global commons.  Team Malizia carries its A Race We Must Win - Climate Action Now! slogan on its sails and measures valuable Ocean data to help further research as they race around the world ©️ Thomas Deregnieaux/ Qaptur / Team Malizia This collaboration with a key partner in the sailing world comes as The Ocean and Us launches the Ocean Hope Expedition, connecting people to the ocean and building collective resistance to deep-sea mining, before the International Seabed Authority meets in July 2025 to decide whether to open the High Seas to mining. The High Seas make up almost half of our planet. This vast area is home to a remarkable diversity of life from the surface to the deep-sea, with countless species yet to be discovered. The High Seas belong to no single nation and are therefore vulnerable to the increasing pressures by some to exploit resources in this last wild frontier. Deep-sea mining is an emerging extractive industry that will irreversibly destroy ancient habitats, affect the ocean systems that sustain us, and will disturb locked-away carbon. If allowed to go ahead, deep-sea mining will unleash a new era of ecological destruction on our already ailing planet. Momentum to stop deep-sea mining is growing. 27 governments are calling for a moratorium or pause on deep-sea mining, as are hundreds of civil society groups, scientists, financial institutions as well as many tech and electric vehicle companies demonstrating that metals from the deep-sea are not needed for the energy transition. Despite this momentum, time is running out. “We have lost over two thirds of global wildlife and each one of us is feeling the impacts of the climate crisis. We cannot afford to embark on a new form of ecocide. The good news is this is an industry that has not yet started and for which global resistance is growing. I am therefore thrilled to partner with Team Malizia to bring hope and importantly empowerment to all and stop this next disaster from starting. Together with Team Malizia and others across the sports, music and art world, we can ramp up support to stop this reckless industry” - Farah Obaidullah, Founding Director of The Ocean and Us.  Team Malizia and The Ocean and Us have been working together several times over the past year, including in New York this spring © Farah Obaidullah / The Ocean and Us “As sailors, we spend a large part of our time on the High Seas, providing a window to the world on this often overlooked yet significant part of our planet. With our sport comes a responsibility to be stewards of the ocean. We can no longer leave ocean conservation to scientists and activists alone. We must have all hands on deck to protect the global ocean and prevent deep-sea mining from starting” - Boris Herrmann, Skipper of Team Malizia. Although they are now officially announcing their partnership, Team Malizia and The Ocean and Us have already joined forces several times this past year. Most recently, Farah Obaidullah and Boris Herrmann participated in a panel discussion in New York on the urgency to protect the High Seas. The event was co-organised by Team Malizia and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment as part of the sailing team’s Ocean conference series. The event featured high-level speakers, scientists, and ocean advocates, and was endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Later this year Farah Obaidullah, Founder of The Ocean and Us, will embark on the Ocean Hope Expedition, travelling down the western coast of the Americas from Alaska to Chile and engaging with key stakeholders to gather support for a global moratorium on deep-sea mining. Along the way, local, regional and international personalities from the worlds of music, sailing, art, conservation and government will join her to spark conversations and unite to prevent this next disaster from happening. The journey will be chronicled on YouTube and other social media to gain worldwide support. ________________ To learn more, receive sponsorship packages and support The Ocean Hope Expedition, contact The Ocean and Us at [email protected] , or visit the dedicated donation page at https://donorbox.org/support-ocean-and-us We were so excited to see talk show host John Oliver pick up on the absurdity of deep-sea mining, in his show ‘Last Week Tonight’ a few days ago. He dedicated a whole episode to this speculative and entirely reckless industry, articulating clearly why trashing the ocean for metals is such a bad idea. And in true John Oliver style, he makes the case hilariously. "I was also super happy and proud to share that the show used clips from the award-winning film In Too Deep: The True Cost of Deep-Sea Mining. A film I initiated and then co-produced with filmmaker and director Maarten van Rouveroy on behalf of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition." Farah Obaidullah, Founder of The Ocean and Us. 🔗 Watch the full episode on Youtube or the snippets on Instagram >> This blog post is extracted from our Newsletter - read it in full here, or subscribe here!   As we approach the launch of The Ocean Hope Expedition, and secure partners, The Ocean and Us is recruiting for three exciting roles!
1. Communications and Marketing Lead 2. Logistics Lead, and 3. Project Manager. Deadline to apply is 5 July for all three roles. They are part-time and temporary for now with a possibility to extend pending further funding and performance. Apply at [email protected]. This is an exciting opportunity to be a critical member of The Ocean and Us, helping to deliver an epic expedition and bringing positive impact to the world! Please spread the word! Sad news coming out of Norway. The Norwegian parliament has voted in favour of opening up the deep-sea (in Norwegian waters) to exploration mining. A couple of take aways from this: 1. We don't need minerals from the deep-sea. Several reports from different distinguished institutions indicate that we have sufficient minerals on land to meet demand. Urban recovery (recycling, bio-leaching), more efficient, less wasteful mining practices, rethinking mass mobility and most importantly changing battery technology, tell us we can do better than ripping up ancient and essential ecosystems. The world's largest EV manufacturers already deploy batteries without cobalt and nickel. Just this week news came out that AI has come up with a battery design that uses 70% less lithium. Solutions abound! 2. The decision by the Norwegian Parliament is for exploration purposes and not yet a decision on commercial extraction. There is still time to stop commercial deep-sea mining. 3. This decision by Norway reinforces the need for a ban on deep-sea mining in international waters (the High Seas). It's one thing trashing sovereign waters for profit but it is quite another opening up half the planet to mining where effective regulation, enforcement and accountability are practically impossible. It genuinely baffles me that with all the advancements in technology, our commitments towards a circular economy and everything we know about the declining state of our only habitable world, there are those in power that are still stuck in the 20th century. We can do better! Actions you can take: Keep signing and sharing the petition. Learn about and support our work here. For the Ocean and Us, Farah Obaidullah #theoceanandus #nodeepseamining  |
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