Biodiversity surveys have been conducted at 19 seamount locations in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal under the Deep Ocean Mission.


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 surveys 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 these 19 seamounts, collecting and studying approximately 1,300 deep-sea organisms. Among these, nearly 23 species have been identified as new to science. Select organisms have undergone genomic analysis, and all findings are being disseminated through research publications and shared with the UN Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
As part of the Deep Ocean Mission, collaborative research projects are also being undertaken and funded across various government and private laboratories, universities, and research institutions.

In addition to organism level data, 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 mission and makes it available in the public domain.

This information was shared by 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 on Thursday.