India will soon explore the ocean floor to unravel the mysteries of the origin of life as scientists prepare to travel 6,000 meters below the ocean surface as part of a deep sea mission (DOM). Initially, the Rs 4,077-crore mission will involve scientists traveling to a depth of 500 meters to test out various technologies being developed for the purpose before diving deeper into the unknown.
“Some mysteries about the origin of life still remain. There are theories that life originated in hydro-thermal vents that are present at depths of four to five kilometers in the ocean,” said M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences. told PTI. “It is completely dark at a depth of four to five kilometres. Five kilometres, but there are living organisms. How does life arise at that depth, how does life survive? The deep sea mission will also help us understand it, ” They said.
The DoM will also help India map the ocean floor, which is a rich source for metals and minerals, Ravichandran said, adding that the mission will help scientists identify and demarcate resource-rich areas, which can be later Tapping can be done when suitable technology is available for the deep. Marine Mining. He said exploration studies of the minerals would pave the way for commercial exploitation in the near future, when such a code is developed by the International Seabed Authority.
“Right now, we know broadly that such resources are available in a given area, and the DOM will help us know the specifics,” Ravichandran said. DoM could also lead to the development of different technologies such as acoustic phones, components facing up. A high pressure environment, research ships and related infrastructure, he said.
The technologies required for deep-sea mining have strategic implications and are not commercially available, the official said, adding that efforts would be made to indigenize the technologies by collaborating with leading institutions and private industries. Ravichandran said that the mission is also directed towards capacity development in marine biology which will provide employment opportunities in Indian industries.
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