Manned Research Submersibles: State of Technology 2004/2005

摘要

Research submersibles and the institutions that operate them remain the most prominent and visible sector of manned submersibles to the general public. The work tends to be at the forefront of science and propels the imagination of everyone of what really lies in our oceans. The community and educational outreach of these major institutions make a great effort to catch the interest of the younger generations. All levels of institutions vesting their future interest in the ocean through manned submersible exploration positively help give a sense of access and subsequent stewardship of this space we call the oceans. It further fosters the hope that despite our tremendous resource management challenges at hand, our modern civilization can change the course of history and change the way we see and use the oceans; like humans changed the use of agricultural land 10,000 years ago. It starts with human access and exploration. It is driven by discovery and nurtured by education. Just as research submersibles remain at the forefront of technology, millions of guests have traveled on tourism submersibles and have had access to see things they would never have dreamt about. The next sector of manned submersible use is Tourism, which is a powerful tool to educate the public on the very basics of ocean eco-systems. The forthcoming second part of this review will discuss the submersibles and operations around the world fostering ocean awareness to the general public.