President Trump signed an executive order to boost the U.S. deep-sea mining industry for critical minerals. Supporters say deep-sea mining could boost the U.S. economy and reduce reliance on land-based mines, while environmental groups warn of biodiversity loss. The move comes amid U.S. efforts to decrease reliance on China for critical minerals.

Dozens of countries have called for a moratorium on seabed mining, and have urged restraint until an international authority agrees on rules for the practice.

The practice of deep-sea mining involves using heavy machinery to remove minerals and metals from the seabed, where they build up into potato-sized nodules.