Latest news with #OceanDiscoveryLeague
New York Post
09-05-2025
- Science
- New York Post
Over 99% of the deep ocean seafloor remains a mystery, study finds
Explorers know that the Earth's oceans are vast, covering about 71% of the surface of the globe. According to a new study, just 0.001% of the deep seafloor has been visually observed. The deep ocean seafloor is defined as depths of 200 meters or more below Earth's surface, where oxygen levels are low and sunlight is virtually nonexistent. The study, published in Science Advances, equates the area seen by human eyes to being even smaller than the state of Rhode Island. 'As we face accelerated threats to the deep ocean—from climate change to potential mining and resource exploitation—this limited exploration of such a vast region becomes a critical problem for both science and policy,' Katy Croff Bell, Ph.D., president of Ocean Discovery League, National Geographic Explorer and lead author of the study, said in a statement. Researchers said they arrived at the surprising figure based on a review of data from approximately 44,000 deep-sea dives conducted since 1958. 7 According to a new study, just 0.001% of the deep seafloor has been visually observed. Ocean Discovery League 7 The study, published in Science Advances, equates the area seen by human eyes to being even smaller than the state of Rhode Island. Ocean Discovery League While scientists note that not all dive records are publicly accessible, even if their estimates were off by a factor of ten, it would still mean that less than one-hundredth of 1% of the deep ocean floor has ever been visually documented. Due to the costs and the technology needed to explore at vast depths, only a few countries are equipped to scan the ocean floor. These countries include the United States, Japan, New Zealand, France, and Germany. 7 Due to the costs and the technology needed to explore at vast depths, only a few countries are equipped to scan the ocean floor. NOAA Ocean Exploration What's it like down there? In the deepest trenches, it is void of life, according to scientists. Organisms such as sea spiders and some crustaceans can be found among hydrothermal vents. Water pressure is so immense that animals unsuited to the punishing environment would be killed. Because of the lack of sunlight, organisms must rely on senses other than sight to get around. 7 In the deepest trenches, it is void of life, according to scientists. NOAA Ocean Exploration 7 Because of the lack of sunlight, organisms must rely on senses other than sight to get around. NOAA Ocean Exploration The limited knowledge of the oceans means entire ecosystems may remain undiscovered, and countless species are not well understood. 'There is so much of our ocean that remains a mystery,' said Ian Miller, Ph.D., chief science and innovation officer at the National Geographic Society. 'Deep-sea exploration led by scientists and local communities is crucial to better understanding the planet's largest ecosystem. Dr. Bell's goals to equip global coastal communities with cutting-edge research and technology will ensure a more representative analysis of the deep sea. If we have a better understanding of our ocean, we are better able to conserve and protect it.' 7 Previous studies have suggested that potentially millions of plants and animals remain undiscovered simply due to the sheer size and inaccessibility of the oceans. NOAA Ocean Exploration 7 The limited knowledge of the oceans means entire ecosystems may remain undiscovered, and countless species are not well understood. NOAA Ocean Exploration Previous studies have suggested that potentially millions of plants and animals remain undiscovered simply due to the sheer size and inaccessibility of the oceans. The study's authors argue that as technology advances and becomes more cost-effective, expanding efforts to explore the vast ecosystem become increasingly feasible and necessary. By investing in emerging tools and strategies, researchers believe the world can gain a much deeper understanding of Earth's most critical and least known ecosystem.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Humans have only seen 0.001 percent of the ocean floor
We know next to nothing about Earth's seafloors. According to a study published May 7 in Science Advances, humans have only put eyes on 0.0001 percent of our planet's waters deeper than the benthic zone's boundary, about 656 feet below the surface. And for reference, the average oceanfloor depth is around 12,080 feet. Don't expect that percentage to change anytime soon, either. The study's authors at the Ocean Discovery League in Rhode Island estimate that even if 1,000 remote and piloted deep sea submersibles each traveled 1.86 square miles per day, it would take another 100,000 years to see it all. But there's another major problem in this knowledge gap: what little we've seen is biased towards ocean regions selected by just five nations. You've probably heard this before: We understand more about outer space than we do about the deepest depths of Earth's oceans. But knowing this and actually thinking about the numbers is another thing entirely. Roughly 70 percent of the planet is covered in ocean, and it contains far more life than the cumulative organisms on land. Scientists estimate there are somewhere between 700,000–1 million species living in the approximately 139 million square miles of water. After centuries of exploration, we've only catalogued about a third of those creatures. That's not including microorganisms, by the way. If you want to add those to your tally, you'll need to tack on a few more million to the total number of species. Even less is known about the seafloor itself. According to NOAA, just 26.1 percent of Earth's ocean floors have been mapped using high-resolution technology, as of June 2024. That percentage is better when it comes to the seafloor in US waters: About 54 percent of that is accounted for—an area larger than all 50 states, Washington, DC, and the nation's five territories combined. But when it comes to seeing what's down there—be it remotely or in piloted submersibles—the total is downright negligible. In their recent study, Ocean Discovery League researchers charted out 43,681 records from submersible expeditions undertaken by 14 countries across both 120 Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and international waters. It's from those statistics that they were able to calculate that humans still have 99.999 percent of the seafloor left to visually observe. What has been documented also illustrates a troublesome bias in geographic location. Most expeditions have taken place inside EEZs within 200 nautical miles of the US, Japan, and New Zealand. Combine those countries with France and Germany, and together they account for 97.2 percent of all dives. 'This small and biased sample is problematic when attempting to characterize, understand, and manage a global ocean,' the authors wrote. According to the team, these estimates starkly lay out the need for a 'fundamental change in how we explore and study the global deep ocean.' Aside from trying to accelerate the collection of visual data, the researchers contend that the scientific community needs to select a more intentional selection of target locations. '[W]hen explored, [these] will fill in the gaps and create the first unbiased and statistically representative biogeographical characterization of the entire deep seafloor,' they wrote. Arranging these expeditions is easier said than done. Traveling to both the ocean floor and outer space offer uniquely daunting and dangerous challenges while requiring millions of dollars in funds for research, engineering, and construction. The number of missions beyond Earth's atmosphere has literally skyrocketed in recent years, with over 2,800 launches in 2024 alone. Meanwhile, only about 10 submersibles in the world are currently certified for deep ocean travel. A major key to understanding Earth's environmental complexities will require far more trips through the pitch-black ocean depths. Accomplishing that will require a more inclusive international approach to oceanographic exploration, as well as some serious patience.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Deep ocean mystery: Just 0.001% of deep ocean seafloor has been visually explored
Explorers all well know that the Earth's oceans are vast – covering about 71% of the surface of the globe – but according to a new study, just 0.001% of the deep seafloor has been visually observed. The deep ocean seafloor is defined as depths of 200 meters or more below Earth's surface, where oxygen levels are low and sunlight is virtually nonexistent. The study, published in Science Advances, equates the area seen by human eyes to measuring in size to being even smaller than the state of Rhode Island. "As we face accelerated threats to the deep ocean—from climate change to potential mining and resource exploitation—this limited exploration of such a vast region becomes a critical problem for both science and policy," Dr. Katy Croff Bell, president of Ocean Discovery League, National Geographic Explorer and lead author of the study, said in a statement. Noaa Mission Finds Unexpected Discovery At Site Of Sunken Uss Yorktown Researchers said they arrived at the surprising figure based on a review of data from approximately 44,000 deep-sea dives conducted since 1958. While scientists note that not all dive records are publicly accessible, even if their estimates were off by a factor of ten, it would still mean that less than one-hundredth of 1% of the deep ocean floor has ever been visually documented. Due to the costs and the technology needed to explore at vast depths, only a few countries are equipped to scan the ocean floor, which primarily includes the United States, Japan, New Zealand, France and Germany. So, what's life like on the ocean floor? In the deepest trenches, it is void of life, with organisms such as seaspiders and some crustaceans found among the hydrothermal vents. The water pressure is so immense that a non-suited organism would be crushed and, because of the lack of sunlight, organisms must rely on senses other than sight to get around. The limited knowledge of the oceans means entire ecosystems may remain undiscovered, and countless species are not well understood. "There is so much of our ocean that remains a mystery," said Dr. Ian Miller, chief science and innovation officer at the National Geographic Society. "Deep-sea exploration led by scientists and local communities is crucial to better understanding the planet's largest ecosystem. Dr. Bell's goals to equip global coastal communities with cutting-edge research and technology will ensure a more representative analysis of the deep sea. If we have a better understanding of our ocean, we are better able to conserve and protect it." Previous studies have suggested that potentially millions of plants and animals remain undiscovered simply due to the sheer size and inaccessibility of the oceans. War Trophy From George Washington's Army Discovered Amid British Shipwreck The study's authors argue that as technology advances and becomes more cost-effective, expanding efforts to explore the vast ecosystem become increasingly feasible and necessary. By investing in emerging tools and strategies, researchers believe the world can gain a much deeper understanding of Earth's most critical and least known article source: Deep ocean mystery: Just 0.001% of deep ocean seafloor has been visually explored
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Business Standard
08-05-2025
- Science
- Business Standard
Deep sea mystery: 99.999% of Earth's ocean floor still remains unexplored
We have explored towering mountain ranges, mapped deserts, and even sent robots to map volcanoes — but when it comes to the deep ocean, we're still in the dark. A new study has revealed just how little of the ocean floor we have actually seen with our own eyes. A study published in Science Advances analysed data from 43,681 deep-sea dives conducted since 1958 and found that humans have visually examined a mere 0.001 per cent of the ocean beds. That's roughly the size of Rhode Island or one-tenth of Belgium. The ocean's average depth, about 12,080 ft (3,682 m), makes it virtually inaccessible without advanced submersible technology. While around 26.1 per cent of the seafloor has been mapped as of June 2024, visual documentation remains exceptionally limited. 'This small and biased sample is problematic when attempting to characterise, understand, and manage a global ocean,' said Susan Poulton, a researcher at the Ocean Discovery League and co-author of the study, in an email to Gizmodo. An unknown world await below The unexplored seafloor holds immense potential for scientific discovery. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an estimated two-thirds of the ocean's 700,000 to 1 million species (excluding microbes) have yet to be identified or described. The limited visual data leaves significant gaps in understanding marine biodiversity and how these ecosystems interact with the planet. Nearly two-thirds of all visual observations have occurred within 200 nautical miles of just three countries: the United States, Japan, and New Zealand. Most of the dives have been carried out by institutions from these nations, along with France and Germany. This geographic skew limits the global picture of deep-sea ecosystems. 'Imagine trying to tell the story of critical environments like the African savanna or the Amazon rainforest using only satellite imagery and DNA samples without ever seeing what lived there,' Poulton said. 'It wouldn't paint a very complete picture.' The research also highlights a focus on shallow waters — less than 6,562 ft (2,000 m) deep — despite the fact that most of the ocean floor lies beyond that depth. Regions such as canyons and escarpments are disproportionately studied, while vast expanses like abyssal plains and ridges receive little attention. Deep ocean's crucial role in Earth's systems According to the researchers, better understanding the deep ocean is vital. These regions influence climate patterns, oxygen generation, and even medical discoveries. Yet, humanity has barely begun to investigate them visually. Some breakthroughs have come through commercial exploration. For instance, studies of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone — a site of potential deep-sea mining — has led to the identification of hundreds of new species and even novel oxygen-producing mechanisms. Mining threatens unstudied ecosystems The timing of the study coincides with US policy moves that could escalate threats to these fragile habitats. The US President Donald Trump administration's efforts to accelerate deep-sea mining have raised alarms among scientists. Recently, researchers discovered organisms living beneath the seafloor, expanding our understanding of where life can exist. Such lifeforms may be at risk before they are even formally identified. Call for a global deep-sea exploration strategy The authors emphasise that understanding Earth's largest biome will require broader participation. More countries, institutions, and technological innovations must be brought into the fold. Without a shift in approach, the researchers estimate it could take more than 100,000 years to visually explore the deep seafloor at the current pace. They call for a 'fundamental change in how we explore and study the global deep ocean', according to a statement from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Until then, critical decisions about climate, biodiversity, and marine policy are being made based on a surprisingly narrow understanding of the ocean's depths. Expanding our reach into this mysterious realm could reshape our knowledge of the planet — and unlock scientific discoveries still waiting in the dark. What is deep sea mining? Deep sea mining is the process of extracting valuable minerals such as copper, nickel, cobalt, and manganese from the ocean floor at depths greater than 200 m. These minerals are found in polymetallic nodules, sulfide deposits near hydrothermal vents, and cobalt-rich crusts on underwater mountains. Mining involves robotic vehicles that collect these resources, which are then transported to the surface for processing. Driven by rising demand for metals used in batteries and renewable energy, deep sea mining is seen as a potential solution to depleting land resources, but it raises significant environmental concerns.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
We've Only Glimpsed 0.001% of Earth's Deep Seafloor, Study Reveals
Earth's surface is mostly deep ocean, but a new study reveals just how little we have glimpsed of the floor of our planet's largest ecosystem. Researchers at the non-profit Ocean Discovery League, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Boston University have now calculated how much of the seafloor we have imaged so far based on publicly available data. In all the 67 years humans have been recording deep-sea dives, it seems our species has visually explored between 0.0006 and 0.001 percent of the deep seafloor. That upper estimate represents just 3,823 square kilometers (1,476 square miles) of territory, slightly larger than the smallest US state, Rhode Island, or about a tenth the size of Belgium. Like the deep seafloor itself, sometimes you have to see a concept to really believe it – and that goes for numbers, too. Lead author and deep-sea explorer Katherine Bell and her team have put together a few handy visual comparisons for their estimates. The image below, for instance, shows just how much of the seafloor we have glimpsed when combined together and overlaid on a partial map of the United States. The percentage of seafloor visually glimpsed by humans compared to the US east coast. (Bell et al., Sci. Adv., 2025) For those who are more familiar with Europe, this image shows the same amount of deep seafloor but laid across Belgium. The total seafloor visually glimpsed by humans compared to the nation of Belgium. (Bell et al., Sci. Adv., 2025) "We have visual records of a minuscule percentage of the deep seafloor, an ecosystem encompassing 66 percent of the surface of planet Earth," writes the team of data crunchers. To make matters murkier, nearly 30 percent of those visual explorations involve black-and-white, low-resolution, still images, taken before 1980. To settle on their estimates, Bell and colleagues aggregated more than 43,000 records of submergence activities greater than or equal to 200 meters (656 feet). These were either conducted within the coastlines of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) or the high seas. While this dataset does not include private oil and gas explorations, even if estimates are off by a full order of magnitude, that's 0.01 percent of the seafloor that has been visually imaged. From the 1960s to the 2010s, the team found that the number of deep-sea dives increased by fourfold. That shows great progress; however, over time, these explorations started to cluster near coastlines and shallower depths. Deep submergence activity through the decades. (Bell et al., Sci. Adv., 2025) In the 1960s, nearly 60 percent of all dives were deeper than 2,000 meters, but four decades later, only a quarter went that deep. When nearly three-quarters of the ocean lies between 2,000 and 6,000 meters below the waves, that's a significant skew. And there are other biases impacting our understanding of the deep ocean, too. In the 1960s, half of all dive activities took place in what is now the high seas, but by the 2010s that fell to just 15 percent. Most modern deep dives are now conducted in EEZs. In fact, of the more than 35,000 dives conducted within 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) of coastal states, over 70 percent were within the waters of only three high-income countries: the US, Japan, and New Zealand. That makes more sense when you consider that 97 percent of all dives since 1958 were conducted by just five countries: the US, Japan, New Zealand, France, and Germany. Maximum depths of deep-sea dives between 1958 and 2024. (Bell et al., Sci. Adv., 2025) In 1961, American attorney and journalist John F. Kennedy, Jr. told Congress that "knowledge of the oceans is more than a matter of curiosity. Our very survival may hinge upon it." Seven decades later, those words still ring true. "As we face accelerated threats to the deep ocean – from climate change to potential mining and resource exploitation – this limited exploration of such a vast region becomes a critical problem for both science and policy," says Bell, founder and President of the Ocean Discovery League. "We need a much better understanding of the deep ocean's ecosystems and processes to make informed decisions about resource management and conservation." Even if we increase our deep-sea explorations by more than a thousand platforms worldwide, Bell and colleagues predict it would take 100,000 years or so to visualize Earth's entire seafloor. So don't hold your breath. "These estimates illustrate that we need a fundamental change in how we explore and study the global deep ocean," the authors conclude. The study was published in Science Advances. Related News
