Though continually threatened by human population growth, there are still many vast wilderness areas across this planet, including tropical rain forests, deserts, grasslands, boreal forests and polar habitats. But the largest and least explored of these ecosystems is the deep, dark ocean.
Oceans cover 70% of Earth's surface and have an average depth of 12,000 feet. Sunlight only penetrates to a depth of 450 feet, leaving an extensive realm of dark, marine habitat, of which little is known. Unlike space exploration, which has benefited from a significant amount of federal funding, the study of our deep oceans has been left primarily to privately financed groups. This is counter intuitive, considering our close, personal relationship with the sea and the various ways in which the deep ocean environment affects our climate, our atmosphere and our food chain (to name just a few critical items).
The exploration of our largest wilderness will likely lead to many unexpected discoveries, give us further insight into the ongoing evolution of our planet and provide a vital barometer of human impact on the health of our oceans. After all, they were the cradle of life on Earth and their welfare is closely linked to our own.
