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
