Separate tracts of ocean surrounding Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands in the Western Pacific are also under consideration. "There have been no consultations with the people of the Northern Mariana Islands," he said. Deep-sea mining companies want to scour the ocean's abyssal plains for mineral deposits and polymetallic nodules laden with nickel, copper and cobalt. The Mariana Islands, Guam and American Samoa all want at least a temporary ban on deep-sea mining in their territorial waters. Former US diplomat Emily Wood has been working with the Guam governor's office to better understand the risks of deep-sea mining.