America was once the global leader in rare earth element production, but as processing moved to China, the US lost capacity and expertise. It can get them back.

The rapid expansion of critical mineral extraction is trading away human and ecological well-being for technological breakthroughs. There are ways to fix this.

Critical minerals are found in several forms in the ocean, from potato-size nodules to brine pools. They are also in some of the least understood parts of our planet.