Deep Ocean: Challenges and Opportunities

With a view to explore Deep Ocean for resources and develop deep sea technologies for sustainable use of ocean resources, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the proposal of Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) on “Deep Ocean Mission”.

Challenges

• Unsustainable extraction of marine resources, such as unsustainable fishing or mineral resources.
• Lack of technologies for deep-sea exploration of living (biodiversity) and non-living (minerals) resources
• Immature offshore de salinization technique.
• Immature off shore renewable energy installation.
• Long-term changes in the deep ocean due to climate change.

Objective

The aim of Deep Ocean Mission is to help India in achieving target of over Rs. “100 billion Blue Economy” through its ocean resources.

• To address issues arising from long term changes in the ocean due to climate change
• To develop technologies for deep-sea mission of living (biodiversity) and non-living (minerals) resources
• To develop underwater vehicles and underwater robotics.
• To provide ocean climate change advisory services.
• To identify technological innovations and conservation methods for sustainable utilization of marine bio resources.
• To develop offshore based desalination techniques.
• To develop renewable energy generation techniques.
• To provide clean drinking water and explore the avenues of desalination of water as well as extracting minerals from the ocean belt.

Components of Deep Ocean Mission

• Development of Technologies for Deep Sea Mining, and Manned Submersible.
• An Integrated Mining System will be also developed for mining Polymetallic Nodules.
• Development of Ocean Climate Change Advisory Services.
• Technological innovations for exploration and conservation of deep-sea biodiversity
• Deep Ocean Survey and Exploration
• Energy and freshwater from the Ocean
• Advanced Marine Station for Ocean Biology