Editor’s Note:

We usually reserve columns like this for our paid subscribers.

But some topics deserve a wider audience.

Deep-sea mining, federal decision-making, and the tone of this election year carry long-term implications for Guam. These are conversations that affect all of us, and it felt important to open this one up to the full My Jungle Rules community.

Paid subscribers make this work possible, and they’ll continue to receive deeper reporting, extended analysis, and behind-the-scenes insight as this story develops.

For today, though, this conversation is for everyone.

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One of the core principles I’ve always believed in as a journalist is this: You can’t identify what’s wrong unless you understand what’s normal.

That sounds simple. It isn’t.

Understanding “normal” requires time — time to research, to ask questions, to trace how a process is supposed to work before deciding whether it’s being bent, rushed or ignored. It’s why I push the journalists I work with to slow down and learn the mechanics of an issue before writing about it. The story is often found in the gap between what should happen and what actually does.

That gap is what led me to start digging into deep-sea mining and its potential impact on Guam.

By the time many in our community became fully aware of the federal Request for Information issued by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, much of the process had already moved forward. The public comment window felt compressed — hardly enough time for a community to digest what deep-sea mining even means, much less respond in a meaningful way.

We’re not talking about a minor infrastructure project. We’re talking about activity that could affect one of the most unique marine environments in the world.

And yet, the urgency didn’t seem to match the magnitude.

So I began reporting.

The field of underwater mining expertise is small. There are only a handful of global experts who truly understand the technical and ecological implications. I was grateful to connect with one of them, Dr. Lisa Levin of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, who helped unpack the science. What I did not receive was a comment from the governor’s office. That absence is notable. On an issue of this scale, silence speaks.

Here’s what we know: Ocean ecosystems are still being studied. The Marianas Trench — one of the least understood environments on Earth — has even fewer dedicated studies. And when it comes to the long-term ecological consequences of deep-sea mining, the data is limited.

Limited science. Limited localized research. Limited public engagement in regard to the time allowed to provide public engagement.

That combination should give anyone pause.

This isn’t about opposing development outright. It’s about asking whether we understand enough — and whether Guam has had a meaningful voice in decisions that could affect our waters for generations.

I intend to continue pressing on this.

At the same time, election season is accelerating. Five gubernatorial teams have already announced — a crowded and competitive field. If others are planning to enter the race, the window to do so is narrowing.

Many are watching to see whether Sen. Therese Terlaje will step in. I am, too.

But beyond personalities and campaign strategy, the bigger question remains: Who is prepared to govern differently? Guam’s challenges are not abstract. The cost of living is crushing families. Higher-paying jobs remain elusive. Health care access is inconsistent. Education outcomes demand attention.

We don’t need rehearsed talking points. We need solutions grounded in reality.

The coming year will shape more than just political careers. It will shape the direction of this island.

As for me, I’ll keep doing what I’ve always done: Study what’s normal, question what isn’t, and follow the gap.

We’re also working through a solution to our podcast dilemma. Stay tuned — we’ll figure it out.

Until next time,
Rindraty

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