SINGAPORE – Researchers from Singapore, South-east Asia and the Pacific, and the United States set off on Oct 7 from the Marina at Keppel Bay to study a

largely unexplored part of the eastern Indian Ocean

The 24-day expedition is an initiative of the National University of Singapore (NUS) and OceanX, a US-based non-profit that operates the OceanXplorer scientific vessel.

It marks Singapore’s first major deep-sea scientific expedition since the adoption of the United Nations Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, said NUS and OceanX in a statement.

The BBNJ Agreement is a treaty that governs the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity outside national jurisdictions. It will pave the way for, among other things, the establishment of marine protected areas in the high seas.

Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan, speaking to The Straits Times on the sidelines of the Oct 4 ceremonial send-off for the OceanXplorer, noted that there is now a new paradigm to development.

He said: “In the old, extractive paradigm, you take, you use and you exploit...

“And I believe in a future where real value is created by protecting and sharing ideas, discoveries, applications... So beyond just mapping the seabed, marine life, genetic biodiversity, I think there are rich, rich opportunities to be shared by everyone.”

The BBNJ Agreement sets up the framework for entitlements and rights, he noted.

And cutting-edge research is critical in building the scientific foundation needed to understand, protect and preserve marine biodiversity, he added in his speech at the event.