1OCEAN LITERACY

OCEAN LITERACYEssential Principles & Fundamental Concepts of Ocean Science

PRINCIPLE 7

2REVISION HISTORY

Date Version Revised By Description

Aug 25, 2010 0.0 VL Original

3ESSENTIAL PRINCIPLE 7

7The ocean is largely unexplored.

47 | THE OCEAN IS LARGELY UNEXPLORED

7(a) The ocean is the last and largest unexplored place on Earth—less than 5% of it has been explored. This is the great frontier for the next generation’s explorers and researchers, where they will find great opportunities for inquiry and investigation.

Unexplored• Last, largest unexplored area• Less than 5% has been explored

Frontier For Next Generation• Explorers of many disciplines• Many opportunities

57 | THE OCEAN IS LARGELY UNEXPLORED

7(b) Understanding the ocean is more than a matter of curiosity. Exploration, inquiry and study are required to better understand ocean systems and processes.

Not just curiosity

Need to understand ocean systems & processes

67 | THE OCEAN IS LARGELY UNEXPLORED

7(c) Over the last 40 years, use of ocean resources has increased significantly; therefore the future sustainability of ocean resources depends on our understanding of those resources and their potential and limitations.

Use Of Ocean Resources Has Increased• Food/Fishing• Water• Minerals• Oil/Natural Gas

SustainabilityHow much can we use and take? Sustainability depends on our understanding ocean resources and their limits.

77 | THE OCEAN IS LARGELY UNEXPLORED

7(d) New technologies, sensors and tools are expanding our ability to explore the ocean. Ocean scientists are relying more and more on satellites, drifters, buoys, subsea observatories and unmanned submersibles.

New TechnologiesNew technologies, sensors & tools are helping us explore the ocean:• Satellites• Ocean Instrumentation & Buoys• Subsea Observatories• Submersibles

These technologies help us measure and monitor ocean processes and can alert us to potential problems.

87 | THE OCEAN IS LARGELY UNEXPLORED

7(e) Use of mathematical models is now an essential part of ocean sciences. Models help us understand the complexity of the ocean and of its interaction with Earth’s climate. They process observations and help describe the interactions among systems.

ModelsStudying the ocean and ocean processes such as those outlined below can be very complex:

• Climate• Weather• Ocean chemical processes• Atmospheric processes

Computer and mathematical models help simplify and break down these complex processes into more manageable processes.

97 | THE OCEAN IS LARGELY UNEXPLORED

7(f) Ocean exploration is truly interdisciplinary. It requires close collaboration among biologists, chemists, climatologists, computer programmers, engineers, geologists, meteorologists, and physicists, and new ways of thinking.

Interdisciplinary Ocean exploration and study involves many fields

• Biology• Geology• Oceanography• Chemistry• Climatology• Computer Science• Engineering• Meteorology• Physics