**Summary:**
The Ministry of Earth Sciences' Deep Ocean Mission has made significant strides in deep-sea exploration and biodiversity research. India, under contract with the International Seabed Authority, has been allocated exploration rights in two regions: a 75,000 square km area in the Central Indian Ocean Basin and a 10,000 square km area in the Central Indian Ridge and Southwest Indian Ridge of the Southern Indian Ocean. Biodiversity surveys have been conducted at 19 seamount locations in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal by the Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) Kochi. These surveys have resulted in the collection, study, and vouchering of 1300 deep-sea organisms, including genomic analysis of select organisms, and the identification of approximately 23 species new to science. Marine biodiversity data is disseminated through research publications and shared with the UN Ocean Biodiversity Information System. Collaborative research projects under the Deep Ocean Mission are funded across government and private laboratories, universities, and institutions. Genomic sequence data of deep-sea microbes collected under the Deep Ocean Mission is available to the public through the Marine Microbial Information Portal, developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai. This information was provided by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State.
Key Entities Referenced
Deep Ocean Mission: An initiative of the Ministry of Earth Sciences focused on exploring and understanding the deep ocean.
International Seabed Authority: An intergovernmental body that regulates seabed mining outside national jurisdiction.
Central Indian Ocean Basin: A region in the Indian Ocean where India has been allotted a 75,000 square km area for scientific survey and mineral exploration.
Central Indian Ridge: A mid-ocean ridge located in the Indian Ocean. India has been allotted a 10,000 square km area in the Central Indian Ridge and Southwest Indian Ridge for exploration.
Southwest Indian Ridge: A mid-ocean ridge located in the Indian Ocean. India has been allotted a 10,000 square km area in the Central Indian Ridge and Southwest Indian Ridge for exploration.
Arabian Sea: A region in the northern Indian Ocean where biodiversity surveys have been conducted.
Bay of Bengal: A region in the northeastern Indian Ocean where biodiversity surveys have been conducted.
Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology Kochi, Kerala: An attached office of the Ministry of Earth Sciences that conducted biodiversity surveys in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
Ministry of Earth Sciences
PARLIAMENT QUESTION: DEEP OCEAN MISSION
Posted On: 07 AUG 2025 3:53PM by PIB Delhi
As part of a contract with the International Seabed Authority, India has been allotted a 75,000 square km region
in the Central Indian Ocean Basin and a 10,000 square km area in the Central Indian Ridge and Southwest Indian
Ridge of the Southern Indian Ocean to conduct scientific survey and mineral exploration activities. Further,
biodiversity surveys have been conducted at 19 seamount locations in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal
under the Deep Ocean Mission.
The Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (Kochi), an attached office of the Ministry of Earth
Sciences, has conducted biodiversity surveys across 19 seamounts in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, and
~1300 deep-sea organisms have been collected, studied and vouchered, including genomic analysis for select
organisms and the discovery of nearly 23 species that are new to science. The biodiversity data is disseminated
through research publications and shared with the UN Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
As part of the Deep Ocean Mission, collaborative research projects are undertaken and funded to various
government and private laboratories, universities and institutions.
Marine biodiversity data of organisms collected through surveys of seamounts in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of
Bengal are disseminated through research publications and shared with the UN Ocean Biodiversity Information
System. Further, the Marine Microbial Information Portal, developed by the National Institute of Ocean
Technology, Chennai, provides genomic sequence data of deep-sea microbes collected under the Deep Ocean
Mission in the public domain.
This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and
Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, MoS Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic
Energy and Department of Space, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
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NKR/PSM/AV
(Release ID: 2153568)