More people have been to the moon than to the deepest part of the oceans. Only a few brave explorers have seen the deep ocean.
Oceans make up 71% of the Earth's surface. They make up 97% of Earth's water. But did you know that 95% of Earth's oceans have not been explored? The deep sea is not easy to explore.
New technology means we can explore the deep sea much easier. One of the best inventions was sonar. Sonar helps us understand the underwater world better. It uses sound waves to find objects. The sound waves hit objects. Then they bounce back. They show us the size and location of an object.
Sonar helps us survey the deep sea. Using sonar in the sea basin can help us find trenches. It can help us find canyons. It can help us find seamounts. It can help us find vents from which air escapes.
Jacques Cousteau was a pioneer in deep-sea exploration. He invented the Aqua-Lung. It was the world's first scuba set. "Scuba" means self-contained underwater breathing apparatus. It lets you breathe underwater.
Cousteau spent a long time underwater. He dived to learn about the sea. He dived to create films. He wanted to show people what it was like underwater. He wanted to show people how beautiful it was.
One of his first films was called Shipwrecks. He found wrecks of ships that had sunk. He showed people the fish that made them their home. It was the first underwater footage of a scuba diver in the world.
He also made marine archaeology possible. In 1948, he explored a sunken Roman ship. It was over 2,000 years old. Many artifacts were found at the site.
Cousteau died in 1997. He inspired young scientists, one of whom was Sylvia Earle. Earle is one of the biggest names in oceanography. She is older now. But she still goes on long dives to study the deep sea.
Just like Jacques Cousteau, Sylvia Earle wants to help protect the deep sea. She teaches people about the ocean. She shows people why we should protect it.
In 2011, a group named Ocean Elders was created. They are world leaders that protect the ocean. There are scientists like Sylvia Earle. There are members of royal families. They have lots of goals and work hard.
We know so little about the deep sea and what lives down there. If we don't protect the deep sea, we may never learn about it. We must look after the sea and the animals in it.