<ul><li>The U.S. Department of the Interior is initiating the process of selling deep-sea mining leases in response to a request from startup Impossible Metals specifically for waters offshore American Samoa.</li><li>Interior Secretary Doug Burgum emphasized the importance of critical minerals for national security and economic growth, supporting the move to access deep-sea mineral resources.</li><li>Impossible Metals, the startup seeking the leases, has developed an underwater autonomous vehicle to extract polymetallic nodules from the ocean floor, claiming it to be less disruptive to deep-water ecosystems compared to other methods.</li><li>While the high mineral concentrations in polymetallic nodules are appealing, concerns have been raised by ecologists and oceanographers about the potential long-term ecological impacts of mining operations on the delicate deep-sea ecosystems.</li></ul>

Trump administration may sell deep-sea mining leases at startup’s urging

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