It is truly staggering to think that as little as 5% of the world’s oceans have been explored. It appears that the exploration of space is more popular than that of our great oceans. Since 1969 we have sent 12 people to the moon, a whopping 400,000 kilometres away, however only three people have descended to the Marianas Trench, the deepest part of the ocean, 11 kilometres down (source Thar).
It’s the deepest parts of the oceans that very little is known about, yet 79% of the entire volume of the earth’s biosphere consists of waters with depths greater than 1,000m. The pressure here is the equivalent of an average person holding up 48 jumbo jets, it is completely devoid of light and therefore the water temperature is very cold, near freezing mark. Many would think that life would be unable to exist in such harsh and extreme conditions, however life does exist and in abundance too.
The advancement in technology is making further explorations and studies of the oceans possible. Low light cameras and fibre optics that use LED can track deep sea creatures’ habits and behaviours. Then there are remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to get to the most inhospitable of places without the need to be manned, enabling data and information to be passed to the surface. These are often fitted with arms for collecting specimens, still and video cameras. Lastly there are manned deep-sea submersibles, again with mechanical arms, still and video cameras. It is true to say that when explorations are made, new discoveries are made too. From Faceless fish, zombie worms that feast on the bone marrow of dead whales to bioluminescent creatures.
The world’s oceans are fascinating, mesmerising, frightening, undiscovered, mysterious and boundless in their offerings. To have a little piece of this in the classroom as a coral reef or jellyfish aquarium as a tool for learning would be incredibly exciting.
When explorations are made new discoveries are made too.
Contact Aqualease on 0300 3033145 for more details.
