How much has the ocean been explored?
The ocean covers 71% of the earth's surface, but humans understand less than 5% of it. In recent years, with the advancement of science and technology, ocean exploration has become a hot topic around the world. The following is the hot content and structured data on ocean exploration across the Internet in the past 10 days.
1. Recent hot topics in ocean exploration

1.New discoveries of deep sea creatures: Scientists have discovered a new deep-sea fish in the Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean, and its unique light-emitting mechanism has attracted widespread attention.
2.Submarine resource development disputes: Many countries are engaged in fierce debates over the mining rights of deep-sea mineral resources, and environmental groups have called for the suspension of related activities.
3.Marine plastic pollution control: The advent of new ocean plastic recycling technology is expected to solve the global ocean plastic pollution problem.
4.Impact of climate change on oceans: Latest research shows that ocean acidification is occurring faster than expected, threatening marine ecosystems.
2. Key data for ocean exploration
| Explore areas | Explored proportion | Main findings | future plans |
|---|---|---|---|
| seabed topography | about 20% | Discovered 10,000+ submarine mountains | Complete global seabed mapping by 2030 |
| marine life | about 5% | About 220,000 species of marine life have been discovered | Establish a global marine life database |
| Deep sea mineral resources | about 15% | Large numbers of polymetallic nodules discovered | Setting standards for sustainable mining |
| ocean circulation | about 30% | Map major ocean current systems | Establishing a global ocean monitoring network |
3. Milestone events in ocean exploration
| Year | event | meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1872 | Challenger scientific expedition | The beginning of modern oceanography |
| 1960 | First manned deep dive to the Mariana Trench | Set a record of 10916 meters |
| 2012 | Cameron's solo deep dive challenge | Promote the development of deep sea technology |
| 2020 | Global ocean mapping program launched | Aims to complete seabed mapping by 2030 |
4. Challenges faced by ocean exploration
1.technical limitations: The high pressure, low temperature, and dark environment of deep sea places extremely high demands on equipment.
2.capital investment: Ocean exploration is expensive and requires international cooperation.
3.environmental protection: Exploration activities may have impacts on fragile marine ecosystems.
4.legal dispute: The issue of resource ownership in international waters has not yet been resolved.
5. Future Outlook
With the application of unmanned submersibles, AI technology and new materials, ocean exploration will enter a new stage. It is expected that by 2030, humankind’s knowledge of the ocean will double. At the same time, the concept of sustainable exploration will dominate future ocean research.
The ocean is the last frontier of the earth. Exploring the ocean is not only to satisfy human curiosity, but also an important way to understand the earth's ecosystem, cope with climate change, and develop sustainable resources. Although we have made some progress, there is still a long road of exploration ahead.
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