India is set to be the 6th country to have its own deep-sea mission. India’s first manned submersible ‘Matsya 6000’ to explore secrets of deep sea
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- The other 5 countries are – France, the US, China, Russia and Japan.
- 1st Stage of harbor trail (40-50m) deep sea mission planned by September 2024.
- MATSYA 6000 submarine is going to play a critical role in the Deep Sea Mission.
About Deep Ocean Mission (DOM)
- DOM is India’s ambitious programme, chiefly implemented by the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
- DOM was approved by the Union Cabinet in 2021 over a five-year period in a phased manner.
- The mission will require technologies to access and transport tonnes of valuable minerals from the ocean-bed in an environmentally safe manner.
- DOM is one of nine missions under the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PMSTIAC).
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Matsya6000:
- Matsya6000 is India’s flagship deep-ocean human submersible that aims to reach the ocean bed at a depth of 6,000 m.
- Accompanied by three crew members, called “aquanauts”, the submersible carries a suite of scientific tools and equipment designed to facilitate observations, sample collection, basic video and audio recording, and experimentation.
- The vessel is being developed by Chennai’s National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).
- Constructed from a titanium alloy, the sphere is engineered to withstand pressures of up to 6,000 bar.
- With Matsya, India will be the only country to have an entire ecosystem of underwater vehicles encompassing deep-water ROVs, polar ROVs, AUVs, deep-water coring systems, and more.
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The Mission has Six Pillars
- Technological Development: Development of technologies for deep-sea mining and a manned submersible – Matsya6000 to carry three people to a depth of 6,000 metres in the ocean.
- The submersible will be equipped with a suite of scientific sensors, tools and an integrated system for mining polymetallic nodules from the central Indian Ocean
- Development of Ocean climate change advisory services: It involves an array of ocean observations and models to understand and provide future climate projections
- Technological innovations for the exploration and conservation of deep-sea biodiversity
- Deep-ocean survey and exploration: It aimed at identifying potential sites of multi-metal hydrothermal sulphides mineralisation along the Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges
- Harnessing energy and freshwater from the ocean
- Establishing an advanced Marine Station for Ocean Biology: Establish it as a hub for nurturing talent and driving new opportunities in ocean biology and blue biotechnology.
Environmental Concerns
- Threat to Ecosystem: Only a small part of the deep seabed has been explored and conservationists worry that ecosystems will be damaged by mining, especially without any environmental protocols.
- Associated Damages: Noise, vibration and light pollution, as well as possible leaks and spills of fuels and other chemicals used in the mining process.
- Harm to Marine Life: Once valuable materials are extracted, slurry sediment plumes are sometimes pumped back into the sea. That can harm filter feeding species like corals and sponges, etc.
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The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)
- It is an international agreement adopted in 1982 that establishes the legal framework for marine and maritime activities.
- It is also known as Law of the Sea.
- It divides marine areas into five main zones namely- Internal Waters, Territorial Sea, Contiguous Zone, Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the High Seas.
June 20, 2024
