India’s Seabed Exploration Initiative
India has recently applied to the International Seabed Authority (ISBA) in Jamaica for the rights to explore two extensive tracts in the Indian Ocean seabed. This move is imperative as India focuses on the country’s strategic ends and underwater resources and wealth advantage in near future.
Overview of India’s Exploration Applications
- Afanasy Nikitin Seamount (AN Seamount): India where it is trying to conduct drilling at this cobalt-rich crust found in the Central Indian Basin roughly 3,000 kilometers off the Indian coast. Being extremely rich with cobalt, nickel, manganese and copper the seamount is regarded as a valuable source for the firms involved in exploration.
- Carlsberg Ridge: Apart from the AN Seamount, India has also nominated the Central Indian Ocean, specifically the Carlsberg Ridge for polymetallic sulphides. These sulphides are mainly composed of copper, zinc, gold, as well as silver and are located along hydrothermal vents.
Sri Lanka’s Claims and International Context
- Sri Lanka’s Claims: The location India has applied for involves an area that is located within a region that Sri Lanka has submitted to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.
- Other Applications: Nevertheless, India’s interest in Carlsberg Ridge also underlines its multifaceted focus on seabed exploration for those zones that contain essential mineral resources.
Afanasy Nikitin Seamount Location
- Geographical Position: The Afanasy Nikitin Seamount in the Central Indian Basin is far from the shores of India, approximately 3000 km. This seamount is located off the southern terminus of the 85°E ridge..
- Structural Features: It is an extensive piece of ‘shelf’ geology and measures 400 Km in length by 150 Km width with the main plateau reaching up to 1 200m above the ocean floor which is at an average depth of 4 800m.
What is the Definition of Seamount?
- Seamount Definition: A seamount is a submarine mountain rising approximately more than two or three hundred fathoms above the sea floor while the top is underwater. These are elevated structurally from the sea-floor; they are generally conical with a restricted upper area.
- Ecological Importance: Features of seamounts and their topographical characteristics likely allow for these special and distinct biogeographic habitats, such as coral reefs and sponge gardens.
Where is a Seamount Located?
- Global Distribution: Seamounts can be found in various oceanic regions around the world. They are typically located along mid-ocean ridges, hotspots, and volcanic arcs.
- Example: The Afanasy Nikitin Seamount is located in the Central Indian Basin, highlighting the distribution of seamounts in the Indian Ocean.
Seamount is Similar To
- Underwater Mountains: Seamount is roughly similar to underwater volcano, which stands out from the sea floor and can rise several hundred meters, but does not reach the water surface.
- Ecological Hotspots: Seamounts can also be home to tropical and temperate corals, fish, other marine organisms, and bacteria because these structures serve as habitat and feeding grounds and source of nutrients.
Rights over Continental Shelf and Maritime Zones
- India’s Continental Shelf Claim: India has taken position that they require right up to 350 nautical miles distance from the coast but this extra right has not yet been accorded to it. Such claims need the submission of scientific data on the underwater maps and surveys.
- Exploration Rights: In the event that India is approved to pursue this claim then India shall have the right of first refusal in the exploration and exploitation of any natural resource in this expanded continental shelf area.
- Maritime Zones Defined: India protects sea area up to 12 nautical miles called territorial sea, between 12 to 24 nautical miles referred to as contiguous zone and within 24 to 200 nautical miles known as the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Further outside these zones lies international waters also referred as open seas which are accessible by any country with the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization’s (ISBA) approval.
Significance of Seamounts
- Geological Significance: With the formation of these structures such as Afanasy Nikitin seamount one can have some understanding of geological structures such as volcanism and plate tectonics.
- Resource Potential: Seamounts are typically also rich in minerals; many of them hold important schemes for deep-sea mining.
India’s Strategic Maritime Expansion
Besides, the application of India at the ISBA should be viewed as a continuation of a strategy aimed at strengthening Indian maritime potentials as well as obtaining useful resources. This has long-term objectives that are in line with India’s interests regarding energy security, economic prosperity and geo-political superiority in the Indian Ocean theater.
Economic and Strategic Benefits
- Resource Extraction: Exploration and the subsequent exploitation of minerals for instance cobalt, nickel, manganese, copper, gold, silver and Zinc has the potential to add value by increasing resource reserve and decreasing import dependency of the country and enhancing the overall industry of India.
- Technological Advancement: Thus practicing deep sea explorations helps develop technologies related to marine which is helpful for research sectors, defense sectors and even in protection of environment.
- Geopolitical Influence: Through affiliation to protection exclusive rights to explore and to seek to exploit broad oceanic tracks, India boosts its geopolitical stakes within the Indian Ocean which is a significant strategic region owing to the increasing trading routes and economic resource endowments.
Environmental Considerations and Sustainability
- Sustainable Practices: By extension, the exploration plans India has in place must also consider compliance with the relevant environmental standards with an aim of only causing minimal harm to marine ecology. This involves having prior assessment evaluation of likely impacts on endemic habitats around seamounts and hydrothermal vents.
- International Cooperation: Working in partnership with such global organizations and the countries within its vicinity also guarantees that exploration duties to be performed by India are done in a sustainable manner with maximum returns on one hand but minimum impact on the environment on the other hand.
Technological and Scientific Endeavors
- Scientific Research: The interpretation of the underwater geological and geophysical characteristics and resource opportunities, like the AN Seamount and Carlsberg Ridge, require elaborate scientific studies and investigations. This knowledge can help in first determining better extraction techniques that are less damaging to the natural environment.
- Innovation in Marine Technology: The increase in deep sea exploration also poses a lot of risks especially bearing in mind that deep sea exploration is often a mission that is accomplished in extreme conditions which only underlines the constant advance in submersibles and underwater robotics as well as remote sensing techniques. All these developments hold great impotance in the field of marine science as well as in the marine industry.
Legal and Policy Framework
- International Regulations: The exploration activities in India are being dictated by several international legal frameworks, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) with the goal of defining the rights and bearing of the nations with regard to the utilization of sea resources.
- National Policies: India is also required to establish an effective legal framework to address its national maritime claims, national laws, and international obligations in order to address its maritime concerns, both in the regional and global context.
Future Prospects
India which is anxiously looking for resources to guarantee its blue future had thus demonstrated its proactive approach towards seabed exploration. By considering defining and evaluating the potential of the AN Seamount and Carlsberg Ridge the country could stimulate new economic opportunities and strengthen its strategic position in the Indian Ocean region.
Potential Challenges
- Geopolitical Tensions: Such territorial conflicts, for example with Sri Lanka, will presuppose geopolitical tensions in which relations require delicate mediation.
- Technological Hurdles: Offshore work means deep-sea exploration and extraction which is very complex and involves a lot of risk hence technical advancement and capital intensive to embark on.
- Environmental Risks: The managerial issue of preventing negative impacts on marine life during exploration is a major task which requires ri diculous standards to be introduced and upheld for environmental protection.
Conclusion
India recently filed an application to the ISBA seeking exploitation rights of the seabed and this is a strategic milestone of enormous consequences. It is in the light of prospecting and perhaps prospection of those and other lucrative geophysical basins such as the AN Seamount and the Carlsberg, India seek to not only gain access to critical resources but enhance technological enhancements and improve on its geopolitical potency. However, this endeavor can only succeed with establishing a middle ground on environmental issues and reasonable international collaboration.