Dr. James R. Hein is a marine geologist and geologist emeritus at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on deep ocean mineral resources. Over more than four decades with USGS, he helped define the global occurrence, metal content, and environmental setting of polymetallic nodules, cobalt-rich ferromanganese crusts, and related seabed deposits that are central to current deep sea mining debates. He now brings that expertise to Odyssey Marine Exploration as a marine geologist on its technical team, where he helps interpret resource potential and environmental considerations for emerging offshore projects.

Hein earned his Ph.D. in Earth Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he was among the department’s first doctoral students and later taught courses throughout his career. Recruited to USGS in the early 1970s, he built a career that combined seafloor mapping, geochemistry, and resource assessment across more than 70 countries and multiple ocean basins. By the mid-2010s the International Marine Minerals Society recognized his contributions with its Moore Medal for a 43 year scientific career dedicated to marine minerals, and he went on to serve as president of the society and as scientific advisor to the United States delegation at the International Seabed Authority.

Within USGS, Hein was a central figure in the Global Marine Mineral Resources project, which studies deep ocean minerals in the U.S. exclusive economic zone and in international waters. That program investigates the setting and genesis of mineral deposits, their metal enrichment processes, links between minerals and deep sea biota, and the possible geochemical footprint of future seabed mining. Its goal is to provide stakeholders with the best available science on both resource potential and environmental impacts, shaping U.S. thinking on offshore critical minerals.

Scientifically, Hein is best known for prolific work on ferromanganese crusts and nodules. He has authored or coauthored hundreds of papers, including a 2013 review on deep ocean mineral deposits as sources of critical metals for high and green technology applications, and a 2020 Nature Reviews Earth & Environment article on polymetallic nodules as a resource for critical materials. His more recent chapter on global polymetallic nodules and cobalt-rich crusts, written for a volume on the Law of the Sea and the International Seabed Authority, frames these deposits as “new sources for critical metals” that are being evaluated as the world transitions from a hydrocarbon economy to a green energy economy.

Hein consistently links fundamental science to resource strategy and environmental caution. In a recent conference abstract he wrote that “deep ocean seabed minerals play key roles in understanding paleoceanography and marine biogeochemistry,” while also noting their potential to provide metals for a green energy future. At the same time, his publications emphasize the need to understand ecosystem connections, metal mobility, and plume dispersion before commercial mining begins. His long service as scientific advisor to the U.S. delegation at the International Seabed Authority reflects that dual focus on resource opportunity and environmental stewardship.

Even in retirement, Hein remains active as a mentor and advocate for deep ocean science. Reflecting on the need for new talent, he told his alma mater that “there is still so much we need to learn about the ocean, and there are not enough scientists,” underscoring his decision to endow support for students pursuing blue water research.