Two-thirds of Earth's surface is covered by deep ocean, primarily 200 meters or more below sea level, making it the largest but least explored ecosystem.
A new study estimates how much of the deep seafloor has been visually observed and identifies geographical biases in exploration.
Visual imaging is a vital method for studying deep-sea ecosystems as it provides context for biological and geological samples and helps calibrate remote-sensing data.
Researchers collected 43,681 deep-sea visual dive records from 34 institutions in 14 countries, covering activities in 120 exclusive economic zones and the high seas.
They used two methods to analyze the data: one estimated total visual coverage, and the second, based on dive duration and speed.
The study concluded that visual observations have covered at most 0.001% of the deep seafloor.
Over 97% of all dives have been conducted by: the U.S., Japan, New Zealand, France, and Germany, while most African and Latin American countries have no operator records.
The study found that features like canyons and escarpments are over-represented in visual observations, while abyssal plains, which make up much of the seafloor, are under-represented.
The researchers suggest that if 1,000 platforms were operating globally, it would take more than 100,000 years to cover the entire seafloor at the current rate of exploration
The study calls for a fundamental change in how we explore and study the global deep ocean to improve our understanding.
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