Marine Minerals Program

The Marine Minerals Program partners with communities to address serious erosion along the Nation’s coastal beaches, dunes, barrier islands, and wetlands. Erosion affects natural resources, energy, defense, public infrastructure, and tourism. To help address this problem, the MMP leases sand, gravel and/or shell resources from federal waters on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) for shore protection, beach nourishment, and wetlands restoration with vigorous safety and environmental oversight. The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) provides the authority to manage minerals on the OCS and the requirement to provide environmental oversight.

BOEM is the only federal agency with the authority to lease marine minerals from the OCS, including responding to commercial requests for OCS minerals such as gold, manganese, or other hard minerals. Read about our Legal Framework, and our mission and vision.

National Offshore Sand InventoryBOEM is developing a National Offshore Sand Inventory through research, and a Marine Minerals Information System to provide access to data derived from our research.

MMP in Your StateState projects, news, reports, and studies.

Environmental Oversight Environmental Oversight includes environmental studies, assessments, environmental impact statements, and consultations on the effects of dredging on biological, physical and cultural resources.

PartnershipsWho is BOEM working with for the MMP?

Obtaining Marine MineralsExplore the multi-step process.

EventsWhere are we going, where have we been, presentations and workshop reports.

Fact SheetsMarine Minerals Program Factsheets.

Requests and Active LeasesMarine Minerals Program Request and Active Leases.

Current StatisticsKey statistics on the number of leases, completed projects, sand volume, miles of beach restored, and environmental and sand resource evaluation studies.

Marine Mineral Research & StudiesMineral Resource Evaluation.

Atlantic & Gulf of Mexico Initiatives BOEM is prepared and ready to respond to hurricane-related and other disasters.

Multiple Uses of the OCSThe MMP works to reduce and avoid conflict with other ocean uses: conventional and renewable energy, national security, commerce, fishing, tribal culture, and undersea infrastructure.

Photo and Multimedia GalleryMMP gallery by state.