Exhibition | Resources waiting to be explored in deepest regions of the ocean

Fernando Barriga (1st left) watches a child using an underwater research device

What could we find in the deepest and most mysterious parts of our oceans? A glimpse into deep-sea life is now on display at the Macau Science Center, in an exhibition hosted in partnership with the University of St Joseph (USJ).
“The Earth’s Last Frontier Exhibition – Mysteries of the Deep Sea,” which was inaugurated on Friday, is on display until May 31. A series of lectures on deep sea research and exploration were held on Friday and Saturday.
Fernando Barriga, professor of Geology from the University of Lisbon’s Faculty of Sciences, gave a lecture on “Resources in the deep ocean: myth or reality?” Speaking on the sidelines of Friday’s inauguration ceremony, Mr Barriga told the Times that a lot of resources have yet to be explored within the deep sea, many of which will probably remain unknown.
In the deepest regions of the ocean there are several resources: “Metals that are probably the most well-known and that are in a better position to be explored first. Then there are energy resources and living resources,” the professor said.
“Animals living there are not dependent on sunlight. These are new ecosystems that we did not know of before and that live on energy coming from the deep sea.”
Professor Ágata Dias, who teaches Geology at the University of Saint Joseph, introduced the speakers on Friday and explained how humankind started looking into what lies in the deepest oceans. “There were many space expeditions and many expeditions on earth but we forgot the ocean,” said Ágata.
According to Ágata, oceanographers are now looking to explore deep-sea life around the world.
Nevertheless, the technical challenges of sending manned or unmanned submersibles into the deep sea means that a large portion of the planet’s sea floor remains unknown, according to a BBC report published last year.
Professor Liu Feng, secretary general of China’s Ocean Mineral Resources Research and Development Association, gave a lecture on Saturday focusing specifically on China’s commitment to explore the deep sea, in particular citing the Jiaolong submarine and its latest discoveries.
The set of four public lectures also included Professor Aldino Campos, who introduced the use of the ROV Luso in Portugal. The device allows researchers to study the deep sea under Portugal’s sovereignty.
Mr Campos is also the head of the Portuguese Task Group for the Extension of the Continental Shelf, which submitted a proposal to the United Nations in 2009 for the extension of the country’s legal continental shelf. He told the Times that the assessment of Portugal’s proposal will start within the year.
If the proposal sees a green light it means that Portugal will be able to further explore its deep sea, covering a much wider area than they are currently able to access.
“Of course our knowledge of this area is still rather small… we are talking about an area that is the same size of India and is underwater. So with the current technology, it is not possible to gain a comprehensive idea of everything that can be found there,” he acknowledged.
“There are resources there that [could be advantageous], but we still have to conduct further studies. This is a very long-term project. Everything related to the sea [requires] a long study process,” he concluded.
“The Earth’s Last Frontier Exhibition” is on display at Macau Science Center’s lobby exhibition gallery until May 31.