U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on April 24 to expedite the process of exploring and mining for valuable minerals found on the deep ocean seafloor, in both U.S. and international waters. It’s a highly controversial move that critics say imperils an important but poorly understood ecosystem and flouts international rules on deep-sea mining. Miners are mainly after potato-size nodules lying at the bottom of the ocean 4,000–5,500 meters (12,000–18,000 feet) deep. They contain minerals, including nickel, cobalt and magnesium, used in batteries and various other industrial applications. Trump’s tariffs will likely raise the costs of mineral imports, particularly from China, a leading exporter. In a post on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “Today’s @POTUS executive order makes it clear: the United States – not China – will lead the world in responsibly unlocking seabed mineral resources and securing critical mineral supply chains with our partners and allies.” However, the move is likely to anger many allies. Mining companies have been eager to work in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ), in the central Pacific Ocean. Nodules there are estimated to contain more nickel, cobalt and magnesium than all terrestrial sources combined. However, miners have been held at bay by the U.N.- affiliated International Seabed Authority (ISA), as its 169 member states (plus the EU) slowly draft rules to govern seabed mining. The U.S. isn’t an ISA member, and the Trump administration says it can use the 1980 Deep Seabed Hard Mineral Resources Act to grant mineral…This article was originally published on Mongabay

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