Exploration of the Seas: Voyage into the Unknown

摘要

This study will assess the feasibility and potential value of implementing a major, coordinated, international program of ocean exploration and discovery. The study committee will survey national and international ocean programs and strategies for cooperation between governments, institutions, and ocean scientists and explorers, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in these activities. Based primarily on existing documents, the committee will summarize priority areas for ocean research and exploration and examine existing plans for advancing ocean exploration and knowledge. These findings will then be used to help characterize the technology, human resources, organizational structures, and funding that would be needed to address the identified priorities in the United States and internationally. Finally, the committee will recommend strategies to facilitate such a program, including information regarding the countries and organizations likely to participate; the institutional arrangements needed (including the possibility of new treaties or laws); the technology and infrastructure needed (including manned and autonomous underwater vehicles, ships, observing systems, and data management systems); and an estimate of the potential costs.