India's Deep ocean exploration

India’s Deep ocean exploration

#GS03 #scientific innovations and discoveries

Context:

NIOT is set to spearhead a 6000-meter dive into the Indian Ocean with a mission to explore marine biodiversity and the potential of the sea bed.

Points to ponder:

  • The National Institute of Ocean Technology(NIOT) is setting up a Samudryan mission to deploy an Indian team of up to 6000M.
  • Only very few countries were able to achieve this deep-sea exploration. The countries that were able to do so are the US, China, France, Russia, and Japan.
  • These explorations help in finding mineral signs of wealth like copper, gold rare earth elements, etc.
  • It helps us to understand the biodiversity of the sea bed.
  • These missions also help in mapping the ocean beds which helps in reducing exploitation and reducing damage.

Samudryan Mission

  • This Indian initiative was launched in the year 2019  to conduct deep ocean exploration focused on India’s special economic zones and continental shelf.
  • The NIOT was established under the Ministry of Earth sciences in the year 1993 and headquartered in Chennai.
  • The programs consist of various crewed and uncrewed submersibles tasked with exploring and mapping sea beds.
  • One Of the primary sites of exploration would be at 29000 sq mi site at the central Indian Ocean basin.
  • This site was allocated by the International sea bed authority to explore and extract polymetallic nodules on the sea bed.
  • Matsya-6000  is an indigenous titanium-built submersible under development for this sole purpose.
  • It will be deployed in deep seas with a three-person crew onboard and has the capability of making multiple trips each lasting 12 hours.
  • This mission is scheduled to happen in 2025