Latest news with #SusanPoulton
Arab Times
08-05-2025
- Science
- Arab Times
Only 0.001% of the ocean floor visually explored, study warns
NEW YORK, May 8: A recent study has revealed that we have a far clearer view of Mars than we do of our own ocean floor, and the disparity is even greater than many might think. The study, published in Science Advances, analyzed data from 43,681 deep-sea dives conducted since 1958, reaching a stunning conclusion: only 0.001% of the deep seafloor has been visually observed. This small percentage covers an area roughly the size of Rhode Island or about one-tenth the size of Belgium, across about 70% of the Earth's surface. With the average depth of the ocean at 12,080 feet (3,682 meters), visual observation is incredibly challenging unless you have access to advanced deep-sea submersibles. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as of June 2024, 26.1% of the global seafloor has been mapped, but visual observations are much rarer. 'This small and biased sample is problematic when attempting to understand and manage the global ocean,' said Susan Poulton, a researcher at the Ocean Discovery League and co-author of the study, in an email to Gizmodo. Scientists estimate that two-thirds of the ocean's species, excluding microorganisms, are still undiscovered. The vast uncharted seafloor offers immense opportunities for new research. However, the study highlights a significant bias in deep-sea exploration. Nearly two-thirds of all visual seafloor observations have occurred within 200 nautical miles of just three countries: the U.S., Japan, and New Zealand. Most of the research has been carried out by institutions from five countries: the U.S., Japan, New Zealand, France, and Germany. "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 study also found a bias towards shallow waters (less than 6,562 feet deep), even though nearly three-quarters of the seafloor lies deeper. Specific features like canyons and escarpments receive most of the attention, while vast undersea ridges and plains remain largely unexplored. The research team stresses the need for a more thorough understanding of the deep sea. It plays an essential role in climate regulation, oxygen production, and medicine, but our limited visual assessment leaves us with a slim picture of this crucial biome. We are missing out on vast amounts of information about the creatures that inhabit these zones and how they contribute to global processes on Earth. Some deep-sea research has been driven by commercial interests, particularly related to deep-sea mining in regions like the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. This has led to the discovery of hundreds of new species and new insights into oxygen production mechanisms. Without commercial interest, much of this research might have been overlooked. The team's findings come in the wake of the Trump administration's push to fast-track deep-sea mining, which could put unstudied species at risk. Recent discoveries of thriving creatures beneath the seafloor have expanded our understanding of where life can exist, and deep-sea mining could disrupt these delicate ecosystems before science has the chance to fully understand them. The study concludes that a global effort is needed to improve the exploration of the deep ocean. At the current pace, it could take more than 100,000 years to visually explore the entire seafloor. The team calls for a 'fundamental change in how we explore and study the global deep ocean.' Currently, ocean policy, climate decisions, and biodiversity assessments are being made with an alarmingly small sample size of knowledge. The study urges innovation and collaboration to improve how we explore the most inaccessible parts of our planet, both for scientific discovery and the preservation of life on Earth.
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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.
Gizmodo
07-05-2025
- Science
- Gizmodo
Humans Have Never Seen 99.999% of the Seafloor, Study Finds, as Trump Greenlights Deep-Sea Mining
We've got better visuals of Mars than we do of our own ocean floor—and by a much larger margin than you'd think. A new study in Science Advances crunched the numbers from 43,681 deep-sea dives conducted since 1958 and comes to a mind-blowing conclusion: we've visually observed just 0.001% of the deep seafloor. That's an area just slightly larger than Rhode Island—or about a tenth the size of Belgium—across about 70% of the planet. The average depth of the ocean is 12,080 feet (3,682 meters), making it impossible to visually observe unless you're Aquaman or have a deep-sea submersible. As of June 2024, 26.1% of the global seafloor has been mapped, according to NOAA, though visual observation is a tougher nut to crack. 'This small and biased sample is problematic when attempting to characterize, understand, and manage a global ocean,' said Susan Poulton, a researcher at the Ocean Discovery League and co-author of the paper, in an email to Gizmodo. Scientists estimate that two-thirds of the 700,000 to 1,000,000 species in the ocean (excluding microorganisms) have yet to be discovered or officially described, according to NOAA, making the vast amount of unexplored seafloor a remarkable venue for new research. Making matters worse, nearly two-thirds of all visual seafloor observations have taken place within 200 nautical miles of just three nations: the U.S., Japan, and New Zealand. Almost every single deep-sea dive has been carried out by institutions from just five countries: those just mentioned, plus France and Germany. '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.' Furthermore, the study found a heavy bias in sampling toward shallow waters (less than 6,562 feet deep, or 2,000 meters), even though nearly three-quarters of the seafloor lies deeper. Features like canyons and escarpments—and specific ones, at that—get all the love, while vast regions of undersea ridges and plains remain essentially overlooked. We owe it to ourselves to better understand these vast sweeps of the deep sea, the research team posits. They're not wrong. The deep ocean plays a crucial role in everything from climate regulation to the production of oxygen and medicine, yet our visual assessment of it is a very slim slice of the pie. We're missing a huge amount of information about not just the creatures that inhabit these zones, but the way these zones contribute to Earth's global processes. Some thorough deep-sea research was born out of commercial interests, including research into the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a region of deep sea mining interest. That's led to the discovery of hundreds of new species and even hints at new mechanisms of oxygen production, which we might've missed entirely if companies hadn't been eyeing the area for minerals. The team's findings come on the heels of the Trump Administration fast-tracking deep-sea mining, which could imperil species that inhabit the seafloor and midwater ecosystems. In the past six months, two research teams found evidence of creatures thriving underneath the seafloor, pushing the boundaries of where we know life to exist. Deep-sea mining will probe these disproportionately understudied reaches of the planet, potentially endangering species before science even has the opportunity to identify them. If we want a representative picture of Earth's largest and least-understood biome, we'll need more nations, more institutions, and more tools to take the plunge, the study argues. At our current rate, by the team's calculations it would take more than 100,000 years to visually explore the deep seafloor, leading the team to call for a 'fundamental change in how we explore and study the global deep ocean,' as noted in an AAAS press release. For now, we're making global ocean policy, climate decisions, and biodiversity assessments with a shockingly small sample size. It would be in the interest of science—and the thrill of discovery itself—to innovate and scale how we explore the most inaccessible reaches of our world.
