Name: The astonishing hidden world of the deep ocean
Uploaded: 2008-05-20T04:00:00Z
Duration: 17 min 59 s
Description: Ocean explorer Robert Ballard takes us on a mindbending trip to hidden worlds underwater, where he and other researchers are finding unexpected life, resources, even new mountains. He makes a case for serious exploration and mapping. Google Ocean, anyone?

Ocean explorer Robert Ballard takes us on a mindbending trip to hidden worlds underwater, where he and other researchers are finding unexpected life, resources, even new mountains. He makes a case for serious exploration and mapping. Google Ocean, anyone?

The astonishing hidden world of the deep ocean

The vast majority of Earth's oceans remain unexplored, even though they make up 72 percent of the planet's surface. NASA's yearly space budget could fund ocean exploration for 1,600 years, yet we still have better maps of Mars than half of America that lies beneath the sea. Deep ocean expeditions have revealed new mountain ranges, spectacular vents, and entire ecosystems never imagined by science. These discoveries continue to happen by accident, proving that the ocean hides extraordinary life and history just waiting to be found.