Next 100 Coalition opposes seabed mining proposal off Virginia coast

The Next 100 Coalition is opposing a U.S. Interior Department proposal to consider commercial seabed mining in more than 2,700 square miles off Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The group says the plan could damage marine ecosystems, fisheries and submerged cultural sites, and it is urging public comments by July 23, 2026.

Why it matters: - The proposal could open more than 2,700 square miles of Atlantic waters to commercial seabed mining. - The group says the project would put marine habitats, fisheries, migratory wildlife and coastal communities at risk. - The targeted area also contains offshore landscapes tied to Indigenous history, maritime traditions, slavery, military service and scientific discovery. - Disturbing the seafloor at industrial scale could damage both living ecosystems and submerged cultural resources.

What happened: - The Next 100 Coalition announced its opposition to the U.S. Department of the Interior's proposal to consider commercial seabed mining off Virginia's Eastern Shore. - The proposal would allow a new and largely untested industrial activity in Atlantic waters off Virginia. - The coalition released its statement on July 21, 2026.

The details: - Much of the area’s heritage remains underwater in shipwrecks, submerged landscapes and archaeological sites that have not been fully documented. - Karyn Bigelow, Programs & Advocacy Director for the Next 100 Coalition, said the maritime landscape off Virginia’s coast is both a living ecosystem and a living archive. - Bigelow said Indigenous communities lived, traveled, traded, fished and stewarded the coast long before European ships arrived. - Bigelow said the Atlantic also carried African men, women and children stolen into Virginia and into slavery. - Bigelow said laborers, sailors, fishermen, pilots, shipbuilders, oyster workers and coastal families, many from Black communities, helped build the maritime culture and economy of the region. - Bigelow said some of that history remains visible in working waterfronts and coastal traditions. - Bigelow warned that once the seafloor is disturbed, natural systems and the historical record connected to the waters could be lost.

Between the lines: - The coalition is framing seabed mining as both an environmental and cultural heritage issue. - The argument goes beyond habitat disruption and centers on irreversible damage to underwater history that has not yet been fully studied. - The timing suggests an effort to influence the Interior Department comment process before the deadline.

What's next: - The Next 100 Coalition is urging the Interior Department to reject commercial seabed mining off Virginia’s coast. - Members of the public should submit comments on the proposal by July 23, 2026. - The coalition says the decision will affect the natural and cultural heritage that has sustained people, wildlife and communities for thousands of years.

The bottom line: - The fight over seabed mining off Virginia is now a test of whether federal policy will prioritize industrial development or protect an underwater landscape with ecological and historical significance.