President Donald Trump is trying to fast track a brand new, highly controversial industry – mining critical minerals in the deep sea.

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.

Talks to develop rules for deep-sea mining are still ongoing through the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a process that missed an initial 2023 deadline and has continued to stymie efforts to start commercially mining the deep sea.