Communications cables are only part of the story. A far broader array of systems now covers the ocean floor – and must be protected.

Most news reports of undersea threats focus on the fragile strands of fiber-optic cable that carry almost all of the world’s digital traffic. The headlines are ominous: “Espionage, sabotage and ghost tanks in the Baltic Sea” and “Financial institutions should prepare for subsea cable sabotage.” The repeated cutting of Taiwan’s Matsu and Penghu cables show that seabed infrastructure has become a convenient instrument of pressure in the Indo Pacific as well.

But communications cables are only part of the story. A far broader array of systems now covers the ocean floor: power links, gas pipelines, offshore wind networks, deep-sea mining equipment, and new environmental sensor cables. In recent years even undersea data centers are being built because of reduced cooling costs, overall energy efficiency, and lower maintenance requirements. Each node of undersea maritime infrastructure connects national economies in ways that few citizens see but that the national, regional, and global economies depend on.

The seabed is no longer a quiet backwater of globalization; it has become an essential component of the global operating system. Governments have taken notice.

Cables and Pipes for More Than Data

Modern electricity grids increasingly rely on subsea power cables that tie together national energy systems. The Viking Link between Britain and Denmark stretches more than 700 kilometers and delivers enough power for millions of homes.