Why Oceans Aren’t Explored Completely?
Oceans are full of mysteries and amazing treasures, but it’s not that easy to explore such kind of oceanic depths.
In the general science subject, we learned that our earth is composed of 71% water, and continents and islands make the remaining 29% (source: usbr.gov and phys.org). From that 71%, the major part of the water, that 97% is in the ocean. You can’t drink that, neither can you use it for cooking or any other domestic purpose. It’s used for cooling purposes as far as I’ve researched.
Now, we are left with only 3% that comes from rivers and streams, and believe it or not, we have become used to live with that 3% water that’s suitable for drinking, cooking, and for almost everything that makes us live.
I think the recap is enough for today. Let’s move to the main part that’s an amazing yet horrible mixture of information.
I know you must have at least thought once in your life about how deep an ocean is or what happens beneath the surface of the earth. To satisfy your answer, a marine scientist said that it’s a lot easier to travel in space or to land on the moon than to explore the depth of an ocean. This was true because, as of today, even the technology has advanced so much, but still, only 7% of the ocean is under the protection of marine protected areas (MPA). More than 80% of the ocean is unexplored (oceana)!
When you go to the beach wearing your favourite coastal attire to enjoy the serenity of nature and find peace in the silence of the sea, you feel like the sea is extended to an infinite length. There is no end, and it’s also on the move 24/7. Amazing!
But what’s behind the infinity? What’s happening in the unknown depths of water? Is there a limit or surface point? Even light doesn’t reach there, and it’s all dark day and night. Horrible!
There are several reasons why the oceans aren’t explored completely. Before pointing these reasons, first and foremost, let’s understand that the depths of the oceans are kept hidden due to reason beyond our cognitive capability. This shows that except for God, we literally know nothing. Accepting this fact, and let’s talk about the first reason.
1. Pressure
No rocket science, no postgraduate Physics! The more you go deep piercing some amount of pressure, the same pressure will be exerted on you.
You have experienced heaviness when you dive into the swimming pool. The pressure on you at the moment (if you are not in the water, of course) is 15 pounds per square inch (psi), but when you go underwater, the pressure increases on you.
Mariana Trench, the deepest oceanic trench located in the western Pacific Ocean, is 11Km (7 miles) deep. If a person goes there, around 1,000 times more pressure will be exerted on him than at the surface. That’s approximately equal to the weight of 50 jumbo jets!
It’s a jumbo jet, or for your reminiscence, it’s also called Boeing 747. Its weight without load is 485,300 lbs or 220,128 kg. I don’t wanna do the rest of the calculation. DIY!
2. Data
We don’t have enough data to explore the depths of the ocean. Underwater devices and vehicles are available, but the main issue is due to the underwater environment. Since no light is there, the oceanic depths are unmapped and unseen. If one wants to go there or send some kind of torpedo or vehicle, the chances are to get a poor result because of the unobserved condition of deep oceanic currents.
The moon and space are easy to illuminate by sending radio waves or directly sending the light. But when it comes to the oceanic floor, the technology fails to gather necessary data. People are working to develop something durable that can withstand the strong water currents, salinity, temperature, and pressure under the oceans.
The results from the bathymetry are not that satisfying because still, no one has seen what’s there under the oceanic beds.
Organisations are working on that day and night so that they can save the oceanic life, but how can one save something that’s unknown to him!
3. Excuses
When you don’t know something, you are afraid of it. The same happens when we talk about unlocking the mysteries of the oceans in front of investors. The government, the wealthiest body of any state, refuses to fund the oceanic projects because, again, it doesn’t know what’s there to explore, and that’s why governmental bodies are afraid to take the risk.
If we are not provided with sufficient resources, how can we gather data? And when there is no data, there is no information. Thus no taking care of the marine life.
There are about 200,000 creatures discovered in the ocean. And the amount of unknown sea creatures is more than 2 million (business insider)! If we don’t know where exactly the vulnerability exists, how can we take action to save the oceans?
The unknown is vulnerable, and we are constantly damaging marine life with our imprudence. For the sake of aquatic animals, it’s everyone’s duty to contribute to keeping the open waters clean. And when it comes to organisations like oceana, governments should consider aiding them.
