SEACON 2026

SEACON 2026 will explore the complex and often controversial geopolitical, technical, and environmental challenges surrounding the recovery of critical raw materials from deep sea environments.

SEACON 2026 is an in-person, one day multidisciplinary conference that will bring together experts from industry, government, international organisations, and academia.

Speakers will address a range of topics across four interlinked sessions:

Deep Sea Minerals, Environment and Technology
National Perspectives
Policy and Governance
Strategy and Finance

SEACON 2026 welcomes attendees holding diverse views on natural resources, global supply chains and deep sea mining to facilitate an informed and respectful exchange on a topic that is significant and timely.

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Registration is required as walk-ins cannot be accommodated on the day

Professor Daniel Jones

Strategic Lead of Biodiversity at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK. His research focuses on temporal and spatial dynamics in deep-water ecosystems, including anthropogenic disturbance, and he has authored over 160 papers. He has taken part in 38 seagoing expeditions, including the Pacific Clarion Clipperton Zone and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. He advises government on sustainable offshore management and plays a key role in international research on deep-sea mining. He leads the £5M UK research programme SMARTEX, investigating ecosystem responses.

The National Oceanography Centre

Mariana Durney

Legal Counsel and Director of the Office of Legal Affairs at the International Seabed Authority (ISA). Mariana is an expert and advisor in Public International Law and the Law of the Sea, with over 25 years of experience in international affairs. She has had a distinguished career as legal counsel and advisor to both national governments and international organizations, holding high-level positions and actively participating in bilateral and multilateral international forum. She is also Professor in the Department of Public International Law at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

International Seabed Authority (ISA)

Professor Fumio Inagaki

Geomicrobiologist and Vice Director of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI) Advanced Institute for Marine Ecosystem Change (AIMEC), co-hosted by Tohoku University and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC). He is Project Leader for Ocean Basalt CCS Basic Research under the Cross-ministerial Strategic Innovation Promotion Program (SIP-Ocean) of the Cabinet Office of Japan. His research uses scientific ocean drilling and transdisciplinary approaches to study deep microbial life, marine ecosystem responses to Ear

Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science&Tech

Rutger Bosland

Project Manager with extensive experience in deep-sea mining, heavy lift engineering and naval architecture. He has a strong track record of leading large-scale, technology-driven projects and managing multidisciplinary teams across the maritime and offshore industries. He led the development and execution of TMC’s Allseas-designed nodule collection system during Nori’s 2022 test mining campaign. Previously, he spearheaded the technical and operational development of the single lift concept for decommissioning offshore oil and gas platforms aboard the Pioneering Spirit.

The Metals Company

Siddharth Shekhar Yadav

Serviced Emissions Research and Engagement Manager at Oxford Net Zero. He leads engagement with professional services firms and works to strengthen net zero integrity and translate academic research into guidance for corporations, civil society, policymakers and standards bodies to support global net zero by 2050. Previously, he served as a diplomat at the United Nations in New York, advising the UN Ambassador of Vanuatu on climate change and ocean affairs. He represented Vanuatu in UN negotiations on sustainable development, climate, biodiversity and ocean governance, including the UNFC

Oxford Net Zero

Professor Bramley Murton

Professor of Marine Geology at the National Oceanography Centre, leading the UK national research effort on deep-sea mineral resources. He has 30 years of experience researching oceanic crust formation, seafloor spreading and hydrothermal activity, and has published over 120 peer-reviewed papers and authored technical reports for the International Seabed Authority. He advises the UK government and industry on deep-sea minerals and mining strategy and has led research programmes developing exploration methods and impact monitoring for deep-sea mining.

National Oceanography Centre

Professor Jonathan Blundy

Royal Society Research Professor at the University of Oxford and Oxford EARTH Research Director. Jon is a volcanologist most noted for advancing the understanding of how magmas are generated in Earth's crust and mantle and of the processes that occur beneath volcanoes prior to eruption. He uses methods drawn from physics, geology and geochemistry to address the fundamental problem of how volcanoes work. He is co-founder of Oxford spinout company, Ascension Earth Resources.

Oxford EARTH - University of Oxford

Dr David U. Socol de la Osa

Senior Associate at Oxford EARTH and an Assistant Professor of Law & Technology at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo. His work focuses on law, technology, and the evolving dynamics of corporate and international economic governance. Through Oxford EARTH, his research examines critical mineral supply chains and the geopolitics of sustainable resource management, exploring how legal and institutional frameworks can advance equitable, resilient, and sustainable approaches to the global energy and technology transitions.

Oxford EARTH - University of Oxford

Professor Gideon Henderson

More information coming soon

University of Oxford

Professor Tamsin Mather

More information coming soon

Oxford EARTH - University of Oxford

Professor Staurt Robinson

Professor of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy at University of Oxford. Stuart's research focuses on Earth history and aims to understand the operation of the Earth system under high CO2 levels of the past. To do this, he uses deep-sea deposits as archives and has sailed on two scientific ocean drilling expeditions to recover sediment cores. He has been an active participant in the organisation of scientific ocean drilling. Currently, he is also participating in a project on NetZero education in schools and contributing a chapter on deep-ocean deposits for an undergraduate text book.

University of Oxford

Dr Pierre Josso

More information coming soon

Dr Fabian Villalobos

More information coming soon

Dr Egil Tjåland

More information coming soon

Professor Catherine Redgewell

More information coming soon

SEACON 2026

Oxford EARTH Deep Sea Mining Conference

Overview

Register Here

Speakers

Professor Daniel Jones

Mariana Durney

Professor Fumio Inagaki

Rutger Bosland

Siddharth Shekhar Yadav

Professor Bramley Murton

Professor Jonathan Blundy

Dr David U. Socol de la Osa

Professor Gideon Henderson

Professor Tamsin Mather

Professor Staurt Robinson

Dr Pierre Josso

Dr Fabian Villalobos

Dr Egil Tjåland

Professor Catherine Redgewell

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