Exploring and Exploiting Deep OceanSpace
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Jan H. Stel [1]
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[1] Maastricht University
Maastricht University
Países Bajos
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- Localización: Ocean Literacy:: Understanding the Ocean / Kostis C. Koutsopoulos (ed. lit.), Jan H. Stel (ed. lit.), 2021, ISBN 978-3-030-70155-0, págs. 65-92
- Idioma: español
- Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
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Resumen
Jules Verne’s life was framed by the second phase of the British IndustrialRevolution. In his nineteenth-century world, a transition to steam occurred. It wasa time of rapid technological developments and explorations of every corner of theEarth’s surface. Then the world population clock ticked slowly and was well below1.3 billion. Today, more than 7.8 billion people live in the fourth phase of thatrevolution, and the world population clock is ticking faster and faster. To solve oururgent demand for resources, we will shortly exploit the unknown treasure troves ofdeep ocean space. However, only some 15% of the ocean floor is mapped in detail,and less than 0.0001% of the deep-sea is explored. Since the 1990s a transition toglobal operational oceanography is occurring, with advanced monitoring systems,new technology like Argo floats, gliders and state-of-the-art ocean modelling. A newwave of ocean exploration is urgently needed, as is an adaptation of the prevailinginternational legislation, to keep up with the coming sustainable exploitation of oceanspace. Blue resources discussed in this chapter are: fisheries, bioprospecting anddeep-sea mining. In a low-carbon society, citizens should be aware of and be involvedin this through ocean literacy.
