NUS-OceanX expedition sets sail to study largely unexplored part of the Indian Ocean

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

, as part of the Republic’s commitment to understand and protect marine biodiversity.

The 24-day expedition is an initiative of the National University of Singapore (NUS) and OceanX, a US-based non-profit group 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 Foreign Minister 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.

“Singapore is committed to the inclusive implementation of the BBNJ Agreement, which taps the expertise of Asean and small island developing states,” said Dr Balakrishnan.

“The collaborative approach will contribute to capacity building, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from marine scientific research in the high seas.”

Countries first approved the text of the agreement in 2023, but it was slated to enter into force only after 60 countries ratified it.

This threshold was reached in September

and the treaty is expected to take effect on Jan 17, 2026.

In June, during the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, Dr Balakrishnan delivered a statement on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis). He said then that small island developing states

should start to lead – not just participate in – scientific research

that would help them better understand the marine environments they depend on.

Aosis is a grouping of 39 small-island and low-lying coastal developing states, including Singapore, Fiji, the Maldives and Belize.

Researchers on the OceanXplorer venture will be using novel technologies to explore life in a seamount chain at depths of up to 4,000m underwater. Seamounts are underwater mountains known to be oases of biodiversity, according to Dr Tan Koh Siang from the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute.

The 21-member research team includes scientists from the NUS Tropical Marine Science Institute and the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum. They will be joined by researchers from Nanyang Technological University, as well as scientists from Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Fiji.

Dr Nguyen Thanh Son, from the VNU (Vietnam National University)-University of Science, told ST that the expedition will be his first research foray to the deep sea.

The crustacean researcher said the opportunity to join the expedition could pave the way for greater collaborations between the Asean nations involved even after the trip.

Dr Connie Sidabalok, from Indonesia’s national research and innovation agency BRIN, said she is keen to use some of the new research techniques being piloted aboard the OceanXplorer to learn more about deep sea isopods, a type of crustacean.

She added that past studies have obtained specimens of deep-sea isopods through trawling, but the cruise offers the opportunity to learn more about these organisms through methods such as benthic landers, which are used to study the seabed.

In the joint statement, NUS and OceanX said the regional research team will collaborate with OceanX’s global research team to map and document more than 17,000 sq km of deep-sea terrain.

Using submersibles, remotely operated vehicles and environmental DNA sampling, the mission aims to provide the first comprehensive baseline of biodiversity in the Monsoon Rise – the seamount province in the international waters off Christmas Island.

Mr Mark Dalio, founder and co-chief executive of OceanX, said the OceanXplorer was designed as a platform to unite exploration, science, media and education.

“Partnering with NUS on this mission allows us to expand knowledge of one of the last great unknowns of our planet and inspire people across Asia and the world to protect it,” he added.

Findings from the expedition will be shared through peer-reviewed publications, said NUS and OceanX. They added that specimens collected from the expedition will be curated at the NUS Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum to support ongoing research by the global scientific community.