I'm always fascinated by the lack of "space" like exploration projects for the ocean. Seemingly closer access, as if not difficult technical problems, but with

I'm always fascinated by the lack of "space" like exploration projects for the ocean. Seemingly closer access, as if not difficult technical problems, but with greater access to actual resources. Thoughts as to why? http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/ http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/ Meh link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-spyros/colbert-report-dr-robert_b_166979.html http://www.huffingtonpost.com/george-spyros/colbert-report-d... One of the biggest issues facing the oceans is a lack of awareness. You can't see what goes on in the ocean the same way you see what happens in a forest or in an African savanna. So people don't know that we waste 54 billion pounds of fish every year while 8 million people die of starvation. They don't know that every single fishery will have entirely collapse by 2048. Or that 90 percent of all large predators in the oceans are gone. And if people could see that. If people could see the amount of waste and destruction in the oceans they wouldn't stand for it for a second. It should be noted however that perviously Dr. Ballard has, in the process of drumming up enthusiasm for increased funding and interest in ocean exploration, touched on the rich bounty of resources yet to be tapped beneath the sea floor. As always, the needs of man and nature are not mutually exclusive should we choose. Balance between the amazing scientific and educational benefits often described by Ballard and the interests of commerce can be achieved if we keep our eye on the prize. http://roastedpinebark.hubpages.com/hub/Ocean-Exploration-Needs-More-Funding http://roastedpinebark.hubpages.com/hub/Ocean-Exploration-Ne... “The ocean is home to the greatest diversity of the planet. It’s still ironic that there are more footprints on the moon than there are on the bottom of the sea, and we’re only 7 miles away,” says biologist Sylvia Earle (Marino). Ocean exploration does not receive the amount of funding that it should, especially compared to the space program. http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1202/1 http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1202/1 Answers me a bit: It is common for books on undersea exploration to include a throwaway comment about how we know far more about the surface of the Moon than the bottom of the ocean, or how more people have been into space, or on the Moon, than have reached the bottom of the sea. These comparisons are often not terribly accurate. Every year thousands of sailors travel under the oceans in military submarines, thousands of commercial divers work on pipelines, cables and oil rigs, thousands of hobbyists engage in recreational diving, and hundreds of researchers travel to great depths in the interests of science. Robots regularly venture where humans do not. What is usually fueling these claims is jealousy, or more politely, professional envy: the United States spends billions of dollars exploring space every year, and far less money exploring beneath the sea. There are many similarities between deep sea exploration and space exploration, and also some important differences. Deep sea exploration has existed for nearly twice as long as space exploration, and followed a different path. But the differences are diminishing and the two endeavors are starting to look more and more like each other. More importantly, deep ocean exploration is having a major effect upon space exploration.