Ocean Resources

• Ocean resources are important for providing jobs, goods, and services for billions of people worldwide, with immense economic importance.
• These resources include food, fuel, renewable energy, minerals, sand and gravel, and tourism.
• Minerals such as salt, sand, gravel, manganese, copper, nickel, iron, and cobalt can be mined from the deep sea, while crude oil can be drilled.
• The ocean also plays a crucial role in regulating Earth’s climate, removing carbon from the atmosphere, and providing oxygen.

Typically Ocean Resources can be classified in to two broad categories –

• Biotic Resources
  • Planktons
  • Nektons
  • Benthos
• Abiotic Resources
  • Mineral
  • Energy

Biotic Resources

• Biotic means alive and Abiotic means nonliving.
• Biotic resources of the seas include fishes, crustaceans, molluscs, corals, reptiles and mammals etc.
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• Planktons:
  • Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in water that are unable to propel themselves against a current.
  • Phytoplanktons– floating and drifting micro plants.
  • Autotrophs
  • Eg- algae and diatoms
  • Zooplanktons– floating and drifting micro animals.
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• Nektons:
  • Nekton (or swimmers) are living organisms that are able to swim and move independently of currents at various depths of seas and oceans.
  • Fishes
    • Pelagic (live in the pelagic zone of ocean or lake waters – being neither close to the bottom nor near the shore)
    • Demersal (live on or near the bottom)
  • Mammals
    • Dolphin
    • Blue
    • Whale
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• Benthos:
  • Benthos is the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the seabed, also known as the benthic zone. This community lives in from tidal pools along the foreshore, out to the continental shelf, and then down to the abyssal depths.
  • They are categorised into:
    • Mobile
    • Immobile
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Mineral Reserves

• Mineral dissolved in seawater:
  • Salt
  • Bromine
  • Magnesium
  • Gold
  • Zinc
  • Uranium
  • Thorium
• Continental Shelf and Slope Deposits:
  • Sulfur – associated with marine volcanism.
    • Ex. Gulf of Mexico – a rich source of sulfur
  • Magnetite reserves are found along the circum pacific volcanic belt.
  • monazite sand (source of thorium) at Kerala coast
  • Gold (Alaska)
  • Zircon (Brazil, Australia)
  • Diamond (SouthAfrica)
  • Calcium-– Peruvian coast rich deposits of calcium and phosphate
  • Sand and gravel – significant building materials widely found on beds of continental shelves
  • Fishes are rich in nitrate and phosphate, high protein, medicinal use
  • Pearls
• Deep ocean bottom deposits:
  • Manganese nodules– It comprises several minerals like nickel, copper, cobalt, lead, zinc, etc.
  • The maximum percentage of Iron and Manganese.
  • Cobalt-rich marine deposits associated with seamounts and guyots.
  • Phosphate-in form of phosphoritic modules on shallow seabeds.
  • Polymetallic nodules
  • Polymetallic nodules are rounded accretions of manganese and iron hydroxides that cover vast areas of the seafloor but are most abundant on abyssal plains.
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Energy Reserves

• Renewable
  • OTEC
  • Wave
  • Tidal
  • Wind
• Non-Renewable
  • Gas hydrates
  • Mineral oil
  • Natural gas

Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) –

• Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) uses the temperature difference between a cooler deep and warmer shallow or surface seawaters to run a heat engine and produce useful work, usually in the form of electricity.
• However, since the temperature differential is small, the thermal efficiency is low, making its economic feasibility a challenge.
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Wave Energy –

• Wave energy is produced when electricity generators are placed on the surface of the ocean. The energy provided is most often used in desalination plants, power plants, and water pumps. Energy output is determined by wave height, wave speed, wavelength, and water density.
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Tidal energy –

• Tidal energy is produced through the use of tidal energy generators.
• Large underwater turbines are placed in areas with high tidal movements and are designed to capture the kinetic motion of ocean tides in order to produce electricity.
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Offshore Wind energy –

• Offshore wind power or offshore wind energy refers to the construction of wind farms in bodies of water to generate electricity from wind. Stronger wind speeds are available offshore compared to on land, so offshore wind power’s contribution in terms of electricity supplied is higher.
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Blue Economy

• The Blue Economy concept was introduced by Gunter Pauli in his book “The Blue Economy: 10 years, 100 innovations, 100 million jobs” in 2010.
• It aims to use ocean resources in a sustainable way for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.
• The Blue Economy advocates for greening ocean development strategies for higher productivity and conservation of the ocean’s health.
• It encompasses renewable energy, sustainable fisheries, maritime transport, ocean and coastal tourism, climate change mitigation, and better waste management.
• The Blue Economy emphasizes the integration of the development of the ocean economy with social inclusion, environmental sustainability, and an innovative business model.
• The Blue Economy is reflected in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 14), which calls to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development.
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Need for Blue Economy

• Oceans cover 75% of the Earth’s surface and contain 97% of the Earth’s water.
• They play a crucial role in protecting biodiversity, regulating climate, and absorbing carbon emissions.
• At least 3-5% of global GDP comes from ocean resources.
• The blue economy, based on sustainable use of ocean resources, can provide opportunities for economic growth, income generation, and job creation.
• It can also support food security, diversification, and the development of new resources for energy, medicine, and minerals.
• The blue economy is considered to be a promising sector for the future.

Challenges

• Threat of sea-borne terror (piracy, armed robbery, maritime terrorism, illicit trade in crude oil, arms, drug and human trafficking, and smuggling of contraband).
• Natural disasters (tsunamis, cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons, etc.) causing destruction of property and stranding of people.
• Man-made problems (oil spills, climate change) posing risks to the stability of the maritime domain.
• Impact of climate change on sea temperature, acidity, marine life, habitats, and communities dependent on them.
• Marine pollution (excess nutrients from untreated sewage, agricultural runoff, and marine debris such as plastics).
• Overexploitation of marine resources (illegal, unreported, and unregulated extraction of marine resources).

Blue Economy for India

• Blue economy presents India with an opportunity to meet its national socio-economic objectives and strengthen connectivity with neighbors
• Blue economy can focus on livelihood generation, achieving energy security, building ecological resilience, and improving health and living standards of coastal communities
• The blue economy would reinforce and strengthen the efforts of the Indian government to achieve SDGs of hunger, poverty eradication, and sustainable use of marine resources by 2030
• India has a long coastline of 7,517 km and an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of 2.02 mn. sq. km.
• The marine services sector could serve as the backbone of India’s blue economy and help achieve its goal of becoming a 5 trillion dollar economy by 2025
• The Indian Ocean is a major conduit of trade with as much as 80% of global oil trade happening through it
• Better connectivity in the region can significantly cut the transport cost and maritime wastage of resources, making the trade sustainable and cost-effective.

Developments Initiated by India

• Sagarmala project: initiative for port-led development, modernization of ports through IT-enabled services.
• Aims to develop inland waterways and coastal shipping, revolutionize maritime logistics, create millions of new jobs and reduce logistics costs.
• Focuses on sustainable use of ocean resources, modern fishing techniques, and coastal tourism for the development of coastal communities and people.
• O-SMART: an umbrella scheme for regulated use of oceans and marine resources for sustainable development.
• Integrated Coastal Zone Management: conservation of coastal and marine resources, improving livelihood opportunities for coastal communities.
• Development of Coastal Economic Zones (CEZ) under Sagarmala, a microcosm of the blue economy, where industries and townships depending on the sea will contribute to global trade.
• National Fisheries Policy for promoting the ‘Blue Growth Initiative’, focusing on sustainable utilization of fisheries wealth from marine and other aquatic resources.