India’s Deep Ocean Mission

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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The Mission has Six Pillars

1. 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
2. Development of Ocean climate change advisory services:  It involves an array of ocean observations and models to understand and provide future climate projections
3. Technological innovations for the exploration and conservation of deep-sea biodiversity
4. Deep-ocean survey and exploration: It aimed at identifying potential sites of multi-metal hydrothermal sulphides mineralisation along the Indian Ocean mid-oceanic ridges
5. Harnessing energy and freshwater from the ocean
6. 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.