The International Seabed Authority (ISA), headquartered in Kingston, Jamaica, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Established under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1994, the ISA manages mineral resources on the seabed beyond national jurisdiction (54% of the world's oceans) for the benefit of all humankind. Its current priorities include regulating deep-sea mining, protecting marine environments from the harmful effects of such activities, and addressing plastic pollution. The ISA is working on a draft mining code to ensure responsible and sustainable practices, and recently launched the Deep-Sea Biobank Initiative (DBI) to enhance access to deep-sea biological samples and genetic data, particularly for developing nations.

The ISA has also made significant strides in data collection and sharing, launching the DeepData database in 2019, which as of May 2023, contained over 10 terabytes of environmental data. This data is crucial for informing environmental management plans and promoting scientific research on deep-sea ecosystems. Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho emphasized the importance of the deep seabed as "our common heritage," highlighting the need for responsible management of its resources.

Impact Statement: The ISA's work is crucial for the sustainable management of deep-sea resources and the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems in the face of increasing interest in deep-sea mining and the challenges of plastic pollution.