Original reporting: Carolina Pichardo · Global Voices — Economics & Business · CC BY 3.0 · 2026-11-08
The challenge is not solely to declare new protected areas, but ensure they have effective management
The stunning beauty of the Dominican Republic’s north coast at Los Haitises National Park . Photo by Jason Boldero on Flickr ( CC BY 2.0 ).
When you think of the Dominican Republic, the first thing that might come to mind is paradise where sun, sand, and sea combine to offer unforgettable experiences to Dominican families and global travellers alike — but the country’s deep sea is also of critical importance.
Jonathan Delance, director of conservation of the National 30×30 Program of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources , says that Dominican marine ecosystems are one of the country’s “greatest natural and strategic riches” — diverse, highly connected, and fundamental to national life.
From an ecological standpoint, coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, dunes, beaches, pelagic zones, and deep-sea ecosystems sustain biodiversity. From an economic and social standpoint, they are the foundation of tourism, fishing, and coastal protection.
Despite relevant research being conducted in the country, information remains limited. According to Delance, some of the available studies on Dominican deep waters have had a geophysical, geochemical, or geological focus, rather than an ecological one. This is largely because deep-sea research is expensive, complex, and requires specialised technology, such as remotely operated vehicles, acoustic equipment, deep-sea cameras, and highly specific taxonomic capabilities.
Precisely because of these limitations, for a long time the National System of Protected Areas lacked a clear representation of deep ecosystems and their underwater geomorphologies, a gap that began to close with the inclusion of the Beata Underwater Ridge as a conservation object within the Orlando Jorge Mera Marine Sanctuary, representing a relevant step forward for the country.
As part of the scientific basis for this process, Delance explains that the technical report on deep-sea fauna documented research between 900 and 4,200 metres deep, recording 1,855 biological observations and 3,294 organisms. One of the most interesting finds was 148 morphospecies, defined in the book Marine Biodiversity as a “group of specimens that can be distinguished from others on the basis of morphological characteristics,” including poriferans, cnidarians, echinoderms, chordates, arthropods, annelids, mollusks, and other yet undetermined organisms.
The pelagic fauna expedition conducted in 2024 covered 2,771 kilometres (1,722 miles) and identified six species of cetaceans, 15 species of birds, as well as sharks and turtle routes. Environmental DNA resulted in the identification of species — including more than 400 morphospecies — along the entire food chain, demonstrating the health and complexity of this space.
Despite these advances, Delance notes, important gaps persist: “We need more information on taxonomic identification at the species level, genetic connectivity, oceanographic dynamics, seasonal distribution, cumulative impacts, biogeography of deep species, and the response of these ecosystems to underwater disturbances, climate change, and other pressures.”
According to the International Seabed Authority (ISA), deep-sea mining (DSM) refers to the extraction of mineral resources from deposits located on the deep seabed, typically found between 400 metres (1.300 feet) and 6.5 kilometres (4 miles) beneath the ocean’s surface.
There are three primary types of mineral deposits. Polymetallic nodules (PMN) were discovered on March 7, 1873, during the Challenger expedition ; scientists described them as “several peculiar black oval bodies which were composed of almost pure manganese oxide.” The ISA states that they are composed of manganese, iron, silicates, and hydroxides, and can be as small as micro-nodules or as large as 20 centimetres. They are commonly found on the west coast of Mexico in the Pacific Ocean (also known as the Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone), as well as the Central Indian Ocean Basin, and the Peru Basin. While polymetallic nodules can be found in lakes, the ones with greater economic value are typically located at depths of 4,000–6,000 metres (2.5 miles–3.7 miles), in areas with an extremely low sedimentation rate.
Polymetallic sulphides (PMS), which contain large amounts of copper, zinc, lead, iron, silver and gold, were first discovered in 1948 as part of the Swedish Albatross oceanographic expedition in the Red Sea. Later, in 1963 and 1966, scientists also found metalliferous muds and brines in the Red Sea Rift System .
Finally, cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts (CFC) are found at depths of less than 400 metres (1.300 feet) to more than 5,000 metres (3 miles), mainly in areas with strong volcanic activity. While similar to polymetallic nodules in their composition, these crusts are attracting interest from mining companies because they can contain relatively high amounts of cobalt, as well as platinum, rare earth elements, nickel, and manganese.
The ISA has signed 15-year contracts with 22 contractors for DSM exploration, with most of them covering PMN, eight going to PMS and five to CFC.
The contractors range from national governments — including South Korea, India, Poland and Russia — to research institutes and private companies. A small number, such as South Korea, India and China’s Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association, hold contracts across more than one deposit type, while the majority have a single contract.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which opened for signature in Montego Bay, Jamaica, in 1982 and entered into force in 1994, establishes the overarching legal framework governing ocean space, marine scientific research and environmental protection.
A central component of the Convention is the definition of “the Area,” the seabed and ocean floor beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. UNCLOS declares the Area and its resources to be the “common heritage of mankind,” and establishes the ISA to administer these resources and regulate their exploration and eventual exploitation.
Between 2020 and 2025, the Dominican Republic had an active participation in the ISA, which is headquartered in Kingston , Jamaica.
At the ISA Assembly ( ISBA28 ) in July 2023, Edward Pérez Reyes, the Dominican Republic’s then representative to the ISA, who twice served as its vice president, presented the country’s position on deep-sea mining. While he recognised the importance of these minerals for an energy transition, the DR advocated for a moratorium until there was a solid legal framework and sufficient scientific evidence to guarantee the protection of marine ecosystems. He also proposed sustainable alternatives, the circular economy, and recycling, as well as an equitable distribution of benefits and strengthening of the management of marine resources.
Sources and further reading
Global Voices — Economics & Business · Carolina Pichardo · Original publication: 2026-11-08
Substantive reporting republished under CC BY 3.0; credited source text reformatted into paragraphs. No third-party photographs republished.