The ocean depths are a mystery, we only know 0.001% of them

We have seen just 0.001% of the ocean depths , less than the surface of Molise: for the rest they are a completely unknown world . This is the data that emerges from the analysis published in the journal Science Advances by the research group led by Katy Croff Bell, of the Ocean Discovery League, which has put together all the exploration activities of the seas beyond 200 meters of depth carried out in almost 70 years and underlines how little we still know about our planet.

The study indicates that overall, since 1958 , humanity has made approximately 44 thousand dives in the sea beyond 200 meters deep , in the waters of 120 different countries , to which must be added an unspecified number of dives made by private companies , for example oil companies, of which no details are known . However, even going for excess, humanity has had the opportunity to make visual recordings of less than a hundredth of the seabed. An incredibly low figure that demonstrates our almost complete ignorance regarding the abyssal world: how could we think of being able to know the terrestrial ecosystems having only known 3,823 square kilometers, less than the entire surface of Molise.

Added to this is the fact that almost 30% of documented visual observations were conducted before 1980 , often in the form of low-resolution , black-and-white still images . “We need a much deeper understanding of deep-ocean ecosystems and processes to make informed decisions about resource management and conservation,” said Croff Bell, noting that the deep is now a growing focus of interest for the extraction of hydrocarbons and minerals, such as rare elements.

Due to the high cost of ocean exploration , only a handful of nations dominate deep-sea exploration, with five countries – the United States, Japan, New Zealand, France, and Germany – accounting for 97% of all deep-sea dive observations . Indeed, over 65% of visual observations have occurred within 200 nautical miles of just three countries: the United States, Japan, and New Zealand . Finally, while in the 1960s most dives were in the deep sea, deeper than 2,000 meters, as of 2010 this has fallen to just 15% and is now concentrated almost exclusively in areas of economic interest.