On Thursday, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at initiating mining activities on the ocean floor.
While large-scale deep-sea mining remains largely untapped, certain companies are advocating for it, anticipating valuable resources in the seabed.
Officials from the Trump administration conveyed to reporters that they aim to extract manganese, cobalt, nickel, and copper from the ocean depths. These resources are essential for energy, military purposes, consumer goods, and are integral to products like batteries and steel.
The president’s directive is set to instruct the Commerce Secretary to facilitate the issuance of commercial undersea exploration and mining permits. The Interior Secretary has been tasked with establishing programs to permit mining along the US coastline.
Officials characterized this initiative as a win for both the economy and national security, especially since a considerable share of the global mineral supply chain is dominated by China.
However, environmental advocates expressed worries, highlighting that deep-sea mining could lead to toxin releases, habitat destruction, and increased biodiversity loss and noise pollution.
