A sample of a polymetallic nodule at the Viridian Biometals lab in Pasadena, California. | Photo: Getty Images The Trump administration took the next step toward unilaterally jumpstarting deep-sea mining this week, announcing a "consolidated" permitting process for both searching for and com mercially extracting minerals that have so far remained relatively untouched. These minerals are found so deep in the sea that they're beyond any single nation's national jurisdiction - which is why President Trump has sparked outrage over his efforts to bypass an international mining code. A chorus of scientists and ocean advocates warn that disturbing the deep seabed could trigger a chain of unforeseen consequences that could eventually harm coastal communities … Read the full story at The Verge. ...read more read less