Could Trump’s Deep Sea Mining Order Harm the Environment?
Far beneath the surface where light begins to dwindle is the deep sea, of which just 20% has been explored.
Estimates for how many species live here range from one to 10 million, with less than 250,000 discovered so far.
The deep sea also contains polymetallic nodules, rich in minerals like cobalt, nickel and rare earth elements.
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to increase deep sea mining and increase the country’s access to these minerals.
The order, titled Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources, was signed on April 24 2025.
It reads: “Our Nation must take immediate action to accelerate the responsible development of seabed mineral resources, quantify the Nation’s endowment of seabed minerals, reinvigorate American leadership in associated extraction and processing technologies and ensure secure supply chains for our defence, infrastructure and energy sectors.”
“These resources are key to strengthening our economy, securing our energy future and reducing dependence on foreign suppliers for critical minerals.”
What can these minerals be used for?
The minerals found in polymetallic nodules are used by a variety of sectors including green technology, aerospace and healthcare.
Nickel, cobalt, manganese and lithium are needed for manufacturing rechargeable batteries.
These metals are also used for grid-scale energy storage solutions including lithium-ion and other advanced battery chemistries that support intermittent renewable energy integration.
Copper, germanium and rare earth elements are used in computer displays, wiring, fibre optics and even night vision devices.
Many of these minerals are used for producing stainless steel, superalloys and other high-performance materials used in construction and aerospace equipment.
Solar panels contain metals like copper and tellurium which are sometimes found in these nodules.
Even hydrogen relies on these elements, with nickel and other metals used in electrolysers for green hydrogen production and in fuel cell technologies.
Why are there concerns about deep sea mining?
The procurement of these potato-sized rocks involves several stages of work in the deep sea which could destroy fragile habitats.
Jeff Watters, Vice President for External Affairs at environmental group Ocean Conservancy, said in a statement: “Areas of the US seafloor where test mining took place over 50 years ago still haven’t fully recovered.
“The harm caused by deep-sea mining isn’t restricted to the ocean floor: it will impact the entire water column, top to bottom, and everyone and everything relying on it.
“Evidence tells us that areas targeted for deep-sea mining often overlap with important fisheries, raising serious concerns about the impacts on the country’s US$321bn fishing industry.”
The UK, Germany, France and Sweden are just some of the countries supporting a moratorium on deep sea mining until further evidence and regulations are available.
Multinational companies, including Google, Samsung and Volvo, have also pledged not to source any minerals from the seabed.
Sian Owen, Executive Director of the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, says: "Deep-sea mining presents major environmental, climate and economic risks, all for highly uncertain benefits.
"This is not a smart deal - it’s a gamble that would leave investors isolated on the wrong side of history."
Guo Jiakun, a Foreign Ministry Spokesperson for China, said that the area of seabed covered by this executive order “goes beyond the limit of national jurisdiction”.
“The legal status and the exploitation and exploration regime of the international seabed are universally recognised and followed through in international practice.”
China currently dominates the production of materials that can be found in polymetallic nodules.
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