why explore the ocean?

My ocean literacy has changed because over the last week I had done research on Ferdinand Magellan and had to give a presentation on his exploration and story. I also had the opportunity to watch my other classmate’s presentations and learn about their topics. Through this experience I learned that the earth’s ocean is largely unexplored and that the ocean is the major influence on weather and climate.

I realized this when I saw the presentations on Vespucci and other early century explorers. I also learned that the ocean makes the earth habitable and how the discoveries made by oceanographers helped improve the worlds knowledge of the ocean. During the reading that was assigned, I learned about how ancient civilizations around the world used the ocean for food, trade and to explore new lands. I also got a refresher of Darwin’s studies and was reminded that the earth’s oceans support a great diversity of life and many ecosystems. By studying how our ancestors used and explored the ocean it was evident that the ocean has been and still is inextricably bound with life on this planet.