President Trump is reportedly considering an executive order that would speed up permitting for deep-sea mining, which could lead to a host of problems for underwater ecosystems.

Other companies have struggled financially because of the delay. Loke Marine Minerals declared bankruptcy in early April, while Green Minerals had to cut costs, slashing 80% of its budget.

Also, crucially, there are shock-altered minerals that ... questions. For example, how did the meteorite strike influence the environmental conditions those early non-marine microbial ecosystems ...