Argument

Underwater Exploration Paves the Way

By: Jackson Bruggeman

Did you know that the dark side of the moon has been more explored than our own oceans that cover 70% of the Earth? While some people believe that we should spend more time on space exploration because we can prepare for solar flares and other dangerous events. However, I disagree, because with underwater exploration we can block out hurricanes, tsunamis and other natural disasters(or at least give better warnings). There is only one underwater research station in the world! To make things worse, NOAA.gov states that, “only 5% of the ocean floor has even been mapped”- 1/20 of the whole ocean system. According to the University of Auckland, “the ocean floor is less well mapped than the surface of any other planet”. I believe that we should spend more time on ocean exploration. Many medicines are discovered from the ocean, there are many amazing fish and plants underwater, and we can power international communications because of underwater cables.

Many people get sick from diseases each year, the ocean gives us chemicals and other natural materials that can be made into medicines that are crucial for us. Many potential treatments to help fight off cancer have come from toadfish. Additionally, medicines to fight off blindness have been discovered from our amazing oceans. Finally, the Armed Forces can benefit from pseudopterosins, a medicine that reduces swelling, irritation and can heal wounds. Diseases such as cancer have been huge problems in today's world, with this treatment people may be able to fight off this deadly disease. Also, people have fought with blindness for many years so a treatment would be crucial. Finally, the new skin treatment would be beneficial in war. This shows that many people will benefit from oceanic exploration.

Underwater volcanoes, geothermal vents, an endless species of fish, these are just a few of the natural beauties of the ocean. Oceans are more biodiverse than rainforests or jungles. Scientists believe that life on Earth could have begun underwater with the discovery of the comb jelly. The ocean can tell us about our past, our present, and even the future of life on Earth because of all of the ancient plants and animals that are still swimming in the ocean today. This is important because some of the fish and plants in our ocean are very old and can tell us about what our future will look like on Earth. Many people are inspired by the biodiverse ocean life and go on to become marine biologists or other kinds of ocean explorers. In other words, ocean exploration is a growing industry.

Finally, we can power international communications because of the underwater cables. International sites and most of the internet are made possible by these cables. According to submarinecablemap.com, “There is an underwater network of cables that is 1.2 million kilometers long.” Most of our internet is powered by these underwater cables. According to the NY times “big sites such as Facebook, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are all powered by the underwater cables”. The government can make calls, send emails or maybe even text other nations and their leaders. The cables make it possible for us to communicate with relatives that live across the ocean. In today’s world more and more people are relying on the internet to connect with others. Schools rely on Google Meet or Zoom to connect with students and educators. Additionally, many people are using online platforms such as Amazon more than average. According to researchfdi.com, “Amazon's profits increased during covid by 200%.” Meaning there is higher demand for internet access.

Overall, it is clear that we should spend more time on underwater exploration. We have discovered many medicines from the ocean, there are many amazing fish and plants, and the internet is powered through underwater cables. With medicines we can fight against diseases such as cancer. Additionally, we can learn about our past from the oceans. Finally, our internet is powered because of the millions of kilometers of underwater cables. To conclude, we need to spend more time exploring our lovely oceans. So what are you waiting for? Go outside and explore the ocean! Without ocean exploration we may never know about all of the secrets and wonders of the great underwater world!