"With knowing comes caring. With caring comes hope that we can find an enduring place for ourselves within the natural systems that support us." Dr Sylvia Earle, Ocean Explorer, winner of the TED prize.
Credits: Bob Talbot, World Commission on Protected Areas.
It's often been said that we know far more about the surface of the moon than we do about the bottom of the ocean. Despite the fact that our oceans cover more than 70% of the planet's surface, we still have much to learn about our deep blue sea.
The oceans are home to around 97% of life on Earth.
Every drop of water we drink, every breath we take, we're connected to the sea, no matter where on Earth we live.
Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere is generated by the sea. Over time most of the planet's organic carbon has been absorbed and stored in the sea, mostly by microbes.
The ocean drives climate and weather, stabilizes temperature and shapes the earth's chemistry. Water from the sea forms clouds that return to the land and sea as rain, sleet and snow. We are utterly dependent on the sea around us.
