Exploration of the Seas Voyage into the Unknown (2003) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
2. Justification for a New Ocean Exploration Program
2. Justification for a New Ocean Exploration Program
Pages 26-41
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From page 26... ...
Appropriate fisheries management depends a great deal on knowledge of fish stocks, distribution, and life histories. Additional information about ocean circulation patterns, chemistry, seafloor terrain and fish distributions, for instance, should assist attempts to improve fisheries management.
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From page 27... ...
_ Q o . _ Cd Q o AL FIGURE 2.1 B World fish utilization and supply, excluding China (used with permission from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations)
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From page 28... ...
As the human population expands, so will the need for energy and mineral resources. In 2002, the coastal zones of the United States provided 25 percent of the country's natural gas production and 30 percent of the U.S.
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From page 29... ...
Input data for ocean color from the Coastal Zone Color Scanner sensor are averages from 1978 to 1983. The land vegetation index from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer sensors is the average from 1982 to 1990.
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From page 30... ...
Our knowledge of interannual climate variations has improved to the point that scientists are now be able to forecast El Nino climate disturbances months in advance (Chen, 20011. With all of the benefits the oceans provide come potentially harmfulsometimes disastrous hazards to human health.
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From page 31... ...
Major earthquake faults offshore coastal states in the western United States are among the most potentially hazardous in the world given the concentrations in population and economic productivity. Although more difficultto estimate in monetary terms, water pollution and marine habitat degradation decrease the aesthetic value and the biotic richness of our coastal waters.
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From page 32... ...
ACCESS TO NEW REGIONS IS NEEDED Successful marine science proposals habitually pursue information about regions, areas, and phenomena that have been described previously. For instance, repeated visits to unique sites, such as the hydrothermal vents of the spreading seafloor ridges, have allowed repeated sampling of both the vent systems and sites along the cruise track.
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From page 33... ...
60°N 40°N 20°N oo 80°S ,~ FIGURE 2.5A FIGURE 2.5 (A) All vessel requests for 1998-2008 showing a strong emphasis on the coastal regions, with large tracts of the open ocean, particularly the southern hemisphere, largely uninvestigated.
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From page 34... ...
This recent effort explored deep sea habitats of the seamounts and abyssal plains and has identified new species and improved our understanding of the distributions of previously-identified organisms. This one month journey collected more than 100 previously unidentified fish species and up to 300 new species of
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From page 35... ...
~ ~~_~ 60°N 40°N 20°N on 20°S 40°S 60°S 80°S f -6 my' . ~ ~ l TV 4\ it' 2''~ :::: ~~ _ 1~ 1 ~ v ~ r 1 W7 1 ~ FIGURE 2.5C 35 il Invertebrates (Figure 2.6; National Oceans Office, 2003~.
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From page 36... ...
Examples include phenomena such as El Nino, rapid climate change, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes (National Research Council, 20011.
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From page 37... ...
As a result, much of the oceanographic research currently conducted re-investigates previously visited locations, limiting access to new regions and restricting longterm data collection. Recommendation: Oceanographic research should encourage scientifically-rigorous, systematic investigations of new sites in the oceans.
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From page 38... ...
Using samples collected by a remotely operated vehicle from methane seeps near Eel River, California, scientists from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, the Pennsylvania State University, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution obtained the first direct identification of the Archaea that consume methane near anoxic methane seeps and hydrates. The by-products of this reaction are free hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
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From page 39... ...
. Finding: Rapid progress in ocean sampling devices now allows researchers access to new environments, including the extremes of hydrothermal systems, the seafloor, and waters beneath the ice of the Arctic Ocean.
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From page 40... ...
A new large-scale program devoted to ocean exploration is necessary to: · coordinate efforts in ocean discovery and capitalize on the wide array of available data; · provide new resources and facilities for access by researchers; · establish support for and promote interdisciplinary approaches to ocean investigations; · develop outreach and public education tools to increase public awareness and understanding of the oceans; · discover the living and nonliving resources of the oceans; and · provide a multidisciplinary archive of ocean data to serve as a source of basic data upon which to develop hypotheses for further investigation. Recommendation: A coordinated, broadly-based ocean exploration effort that meets the highest standards of scientific excellence should be aggressively pursued.
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From page 41... ...
The program should include developments of new tools, probes, sensors, and systems for multidisciplinary ocean exploration. The program should reach out to increase literacy pertaining to ocean science and management issues for learners of all ages to maximize the impact for research, commercial, regulatory, and educational benefits.
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