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This section will guide you to better understand the evolution of the Blue Economy, from a scientific and mining-focused approach (1950s) to a multisectoral and sustainable management.

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Source includes OECD Science & Copernicus

Let us take a quick look back on deep-sea exploration

Interest in human exploration of the deep sea emerged in the 1950s, but intensive and systematic exploration of the seabed only truly began in the early 2000s for several reasons related to technology, economics, international regulations, and the evolving scientific and industrial interests.

Technological and scientific limitations

Until the end of the 20th century, deep-sea exploration was hindered by many technical obstacles:

• Extreme depths, enormous pressure and the absence of light made operations dangerous and costly, and the majority of the seabed remained inaccessible or poorly known
• Mapping and exploration tools were not sufficiently advanced or affordable to allow large-scale exploration

Economic and geopolitical factors

Interest in mineral resources on the seabed emerged in the 1970s, but it was only with the rise in raw material prices and the growing demand for strategic metals that deep-sea exploration became an economic and strategic priority for many countries.

International regulatory framework