Our world’s oceans are vast. They make up 70% of the surface of the planet and help maintain life on Earth. And yet there is still so much we don’t know about them.
A friend of mine and I were once engaged in a discussion about space exploration. For those of you who don’t know me, space is a bit of an obsession of mine. I love learning about and thinking about space. It fascinates me. But my friend made an interesting point during this discussion which I hadn’t thought about before. He said there is so much money being invested in space exploration, which is a necessary part of science, but he is so surprised by how little we actually know about the ocean deep on our own planet.
Here’s a fact that might shock you–95% of the ocean is unexplored. That means we have only discovered and understand 5% of the world’s oceans. According to scientists, every time they uncover a new segment of ocean floor new species are found. There are millions of unknown species and miles of unmapped territory in our oceans. There is still so much ground to cover over the next century for ocean exploration. Before we start zooming off to Mars, maybe we should finish exploring and understanding our own planet. With the ocean being such a vital part to regulating weather and maintaining life on our planet there seems to be a lot of opportunity for future generations to get involved.
Here are some snapshots of a few of the oceans and seas that I’ve visited. Leave a comment with the oceans and seas you’ve dipped your feet in!
Happy Friday!
Great facts Erin – thanks. Scary thought that the majority of the oceans are unexplored – who knows what is out there!
Isn’t it? It sent a chill up my spine that there is so much territory left to be seen. Thanks so much for reading and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Thanks – and you! 😀