Tag: Deep sea

World to witness 1st Indian in Space and other Indian in Deep Sea by 2025

 World to witness 1st Indian in Space and other Indian in Deep Sea by 2025, says Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh on the stage of Bharat 24 News network during his address here today.

Speaking on India’ s progress in Space and Marine sector, Dr. Jitendra Singh shared that four astronauts-three Group Captains and one Wing Commander have been selected for India’s 1st Human Space Mission- Gaganyaan. Similarly, he also shared that India’s Deep-Sea mission will send three Indians to deep sea in 2025.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh at the programme hosted by Bharat 24 News network

During his address highlighting the Development in the Northeast India, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space and MoS Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Dr. Jitendra Singh said Infrastructure overhaul in Northeast India in the last decade is the role model of PM Modi’s development.” Going further he recalled the new airports made operational in Northeast. Increase in network of all-weather roads and highways along with remote connectivity. The railways operating trains from Itanagar and new waterways that have been opened. He categorically mentioned that not only in terms of Infrastructure but also in human resources development is commendable as recruiters in the hospitality and aviation industry are now visiting these states for talent acquisition. Going further he stated that Prime Minister is fond of the region and preferred Mizoram to establish a ‘Citrus Fruit Park- A Centre of excellence’ in Mizoram due its favorable conditions.

Dr. Jitendra Singh when asked about the progress of Jammu Kashmir in the last decade said “Record number of tourists visiting Kashmir nearly 2.5 crore in the last season is the testimony of development and peace in the region.” He also added that 1 lakh people have already arrived for Amarnath Yatra which also highlights boom in domestic tourism. He also mentioned that terrorism is in its last phase.

The media group congratulated Dr. Jitendra Singh for making a hattrick by winning from Udhampur constituency and also being the Minister for the 3rd time. The Science and Technology Minister recalled the recent progress and shared the path of India’s vision. He said “Space sector is limited to launch rockets and satellites but it will also propel growth and positively impact agriculture, infrastructure, communication, healthcare etc. Land Record management, new geospatial policy, new space policy, and initiatives such as soil health card, DBT, land mapping etc. will boost farmer productivity,”

He said, “In 2022 we had just one space Startup and in 2024 after opening the space sector for private participation we have nearly 200 startups and many among them have global capacity. He also shared that in just few months 1000 crore of Private sector investment has come into Space sector.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said, “India is among the frontline nations in terms quantum technologies as we have National Quantum Mission”. He also highlighted India’s Vast resources which are untapped such as Himalayan resources, Marine Resources of 7500km long coastline. The minister also shared that the government is successful in bringing agriculture and entrepreneurship together by Aroma Mission which promotes lavender cultivation and empowers farmers economically with the help of technology.

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Soft coral garden found in Greenland deep-sea

A deep-sea coral garden ecosystem is discovered with an outstanding depth of 1500m by a scientist from UCL, Zoological Society London and Greenland. Scientists of the UK and Greenland have found the Greenland sea coral garden habitat the first kind of habitat that has been recognized using an inventive and low-cost deep-sea video camera.

The study has shown that the economically important deep-sea trawl fisheries are adjacent to the habitat. The researchers hope that the United Nation recognized the 486 Km2 regions under the ‘Vulnerable Marine ecosystem’ so that it can be preserved and maintained. The soft coral garden found by the Uk-Greenland team exists in total darkness and where the pressure is 50 times greater than at the surface.

Coral gardens are characterised by collections of one or more species, that sits on a wide range of hard and soft bottom habitats, from rock to sand, and support a diversity of fauna,’ said Chris Yesson of the Zoological Society of London. The gardens are made of non-reef coral species, spotlighting mainly cauliflower corals, sponges, anemones, brittle stars and hydrozoans and other organisms.

PhD. Researcher (UCL) and ZCL first authors said that despite our earth is covering about 70% of the deeps we hardly mapped it. The inventions of the low-cost tools carry numerous probabilities in discovering and maintaining marine ecosystems. Since discovering the deep-sea is very costly and difficult since the pressure increase by one atmosphere as we go 10m deep. However, the innovative and low-cost video camera is able to discover the new ecosystem where the pressures is fifty times greater than at the surface.

The researchers have successfully developed the towed video sled using a steel frame on which they mounted a GoPro video camera, lights and lasers to provide an understanding of scale (made by integrating high power laser pointer made by UCL’s Institute of Making) in pressure-proof housings. The video sledge which was made as of the size of mini copper-on the seafloor for around 15 minutes at a time took footage from 18 different sites across the seafloor taking out 1239 photos from the video footage for further investigation.

Me long said ‘A towed video sled is not unique. However, our research is certainly the first example of a low-cost DIY video sled led being used to explore deep-sea habitats in Greenland’s 2.2 million square kilometres of sea, ‘

Continued by Dr. Yesson saying “Given that the ocean is the biggest habitat on earth and the one about which we know the least, we think it is critically important ti develop cheap, accessible research tools. These tools can be used to explore, describe and crucially inform management of these deep-sea resources.”

Greenland virtually is unexplored, although more than 2000 enormous species have been known till now contributing in making complex and diverse habitats. Greenland’s economy depends on a small number of fishers trawls on the seabed despite knowing very less about the marine habitat and hoping that studies on the deep sea will increase the understanding of ecological relationship said by Mr.Martin Blitcher.