Introduction
Humanity has been investing efforts for a long time to study what surrounds it. Space exploration and the unknown that it hides have gained particular popularity in recent years. However, there is an equally valuable and little-studied source of information, the ocean.
The water resources of the planet Earth are a great storehouse of knowledge that can give numerous answers to questions and become more informative and valuable than space. Therefore, researchers should explore the ocean more than space, as it can provide knowledge about the origins of the world, valuable resources, and its impact on areas such as environmental protection and medicine. At the same time, space research cannot be neglected entirely, since it contributes to improving technological development and gaining awareness of what is beyond the planet Earth.
Ocean and Space
The debate about what researchers should pay more attention to, the ocean or space, has been going on for a long time. Considering these points of view will provide an understanding of the first reason why water resources are of more imperative importance. The NASA Outer Planets Assessment Group created a specialized program called Roadmaps to Ocean Worlds.
The main goal of this initiative is “to identify ocean worlds, characterize their oceans, evaluate their habitability, search for life, and ultimately understand any life we find” (Hendrix 1). Further, this organization strives to explore not only those parts of the ocean that are already known but also those that remain unexplored. This is because, at the moment, humanity has knowledge of only 5% of the planet’s water resources.
Many researchers emphasize the need to study the ocean instead of space. Levin et al. stated, “over 150 years of exploration have revealed that this system provides critical climate regulation, the wealth of energy, mineral, and biological resources, and represents a vast repository of biological diversity” (241). The researchers emphasize the importance of collaboration between representatives of different sciences to study the ocean, which will provide an opportunity to obtain data on the Earth’s state and the measures necessary for its preservation.
To gain a complete understanding, it is essential to consider the justifications for space exploration instead of the ocean. Among the most frequently mentioned reasons for paying attention to space are protecting the planet and the environment, developing technology and innovation, and scientific discoveries. Many researchers associate data acquisition about what is beyond Earth with improving health care. For example, Cucinotta, in their study, will determine the value of space research for radiology, which is often used in the treatment of patients (1).
Another argument for space exploration, not the ocean, becomes a possible danger to humanity. This is facilitated by harmful human activity, affecting serious threat factors such as climate change (Mensah 1653531). Because of this, many scientists and organizations aim to explore space to find a place where people can adapt and possibly live.
Furthermore, many different justifications can be given when considering the debate about the value of space or ocean exploration. However, within the framework of this paper, it should be noted that to limit such severe problems as climate change, it is necessary to pay attention to their causes. In other words, it is critically important for humanity to explore its planet, including the ocean, to find ways to help manage and limit its negative consequences.
Origin of Humanity
The first reason for studying the ocean is to gain information about the origins of human life and its development. According to one of the theories of human development, humans originated from sea creatures. This theory is called the aquatic ape hypothesis, which “provides a framework intending to explain a causal relationship between ecological condition (i.e., water) and human adaptive response (physiological and behavioral changes)” (Nakazawa 11). This theoretical approach to human development provides a point of view according to which one of their species of monkeys switched to feeding on marine species due to competition. This activity has led to such critical characteristics of modern Homo Sapiens as functional hairlessness and upright walking.
The main advantage of this theory of human origin is that it answers multiple questions more easily. This phenomenon is called the “umbrella hypothesis” (Nakazawa 11). Thus, due to the lack of substantial evidence, this approach is considered a hypothesis and has a large area for interpretation.
Consequently, the first reason for studying the ocean is to attempt to find more evidence of the role played by water resources in the development of the human species. In addition, studying this aspect will make it possible to realize the development of all species living on the planet’s reservoirs. On the other hand, it cannot be denied that examining the ocean can completely refute the aquatic ape hypothesis while pointing out the accuracy and reliability of other approaches to understanding the origin of man.
Ocean as a Resource
The ocean is a source of multiple functional elements and processes for all life on Earth. Studying the water resources covering Earth provides a more valuable understanding of the resources that can be used to improve human life. This is because the ocean is the location of many marine species and ecosystems. Thus, it is valuable for studying the environment, the factors influencing it, and the relationship between living beings and nature. Another aspect is the provision of resources for such areas of human life as medicine, science, technology, and production.
Connection of Ecosystems
As mentioned previously, the ocean contains many different ecosystems and marine life. People may have no idea about most of them since they can live in the depths of the oceans. The study of this aspect will positively impact the relationship of both marine species with each other and with those on the surface. Moreover, this is because each aquatic animal performs a specific function that supports this ecosystem to ensure its life and functionality. For example, “phytoplankton supports all life in the ocean as it converts organic compounds into organic constituents” (Heinrichs 279).
Thus, every living organism in the ocean performs such functions as producers, consumers, and decomposers, and enters the microbial loop (Heinrichs 280). This implies a complex marine microbial food web through which bacteria “consume dissolved organic matter (DOM)” (Evans 460). The study of the functions of each of these roles contributes to acquiring knowledge about the importance of each aquatic species and what can happen with its extinction.
Healthcare and Medicine
Another critical area for which the study of the ocean is essential is medicine and healthcare. Researchers can gain valuable resources for developing the pharmacological field by gaining knowledge about aquatic life and the ecosystem. An example would be using an Indonesian sponge containing a molecule called manzamine A, a specialized molecule used in drugs to block cervical cancer at a late stage (Panggabean et al. 13).
Therefore, the products of the functioning of marine species are various enzymes, proteins, and bioactive molecules, which are widely used in the field under discussion. These substances are examined in detail and developed into components used in healthcare to treat diseases such as infectious diseases or neurological disorders. Research indicated that “these compounds have the potential of having pharmacological activities such as anti-tumor, antiviral, antioxidant, anti-microbial, and anti-coagulant” (Singh et al. 52800). Thus, the use of this knowledge in medicine justifies the call to explore the ocean instead of outer space.
It is also worth noting that the study of marine animals in the healthcare field plays a unique role. This is because these species have undergone a long adaptation process to their surrounding conditions during their development and formation. Due to this, they have acquired various adaptive mechanisms and functions that help them cope with external and internal stimuli. Gaining knowledge about these processes can contribute to finding those that can be applied in human research. In other words, drawing a parallel between the adaptive abilities of marine life and the human body will assist in determining ways to combat certain diseases and exposure factors.
Food and Water
One of the most widely known outcomes of studying the ocean and other water resources is the contribution to the field of examination of the food and water that humans consume. The most crucial thing in this section is providing food and water security, especially for regions where water is the most valuable resource, such as Africa. At the moment, there is a critical problem of scarcity of water resources, which complicates the lives of individuals in many areas of the planet.
Therefore, there is a vital need to examine the causes and consequences of this circumstance. The complexity of this circumstance is that some of the above methods of examining and solving this problem, such as desalination, can lead to undesirable environmental and marine life outcomes (Rahman 20262). Therefore, additional research on both ocean and alternative methods is critical to ensure the well-being of these aspects.
Regarding food, the ocean is one of the most valuable protein sources for humans. It is home to various fish and seaweed, which serve as a source of this valuable substance for the human body. It is emphasized that “75 percent of the nitrogen from fish protein is absorbed and retained by the human body, and it also consists of essential amino acids that are required for human nutrition” (Nurdiani 2987).
In addition, aquatic species are everyday items for consumption and ensure the efficient functioning of the economies of many countries. Thus, studying the ocean as a food source contributes to finding new species for consumption and maintaining the regions’ economies. Furthermore, it can be helpful for the simultaneous search for technologies and approaches that, despite the consumption of fish, will contribute to the conservation of many species responsible for the fruitful development of the marine ecosystem.
Sustainability of the Environment
Separately, close attention should be paid to the importance of studying the ocean to preserve and maintain the environment. This is because climate change is becoming the main threat to modern society. There are many reasons for this circumstance, the leading being human activity. People actively use natural resources, including water, to improve activities and industries. However, by doing so, they deprive the ecosystem of the opportunity to function correctly and recover, which negatively affects it.
The ocean is one of the most vital carbon sinks on the planet. This is because it produces oxygen necessary for humans, animals, and plants. The growth of temperature indicators associated with climatic changes in the environment causes a global problem, such as the dissolution of oxygen concentration.
In addition, an increase in oxygen concentration, a decrease in pH level, and acidification negatively affect the organisms living in it. Hence, “ocean acidification has also been shown to lower fitness in some species and makes it harder for some marine organisms to form calcium carbonate shells and skeletons” (Garcia-Soto et al. 642372). Research in this area has shown that the creation of oxygen occurs through photosynthesis or air-sea gas exchange.
Another aspect of this problem is climate change’s detrimental effect on microorganisms living in the ocean. Their primary role is to maintain the effective functioning of the global ecosystem, on which the entire environment and the quality of life of people will depend in the future. Cavicchioli et al. stated that “Microorganisms have key roles in carbon and nutrient cycling, animal (including human) and plant health, agriculture and the global food web” (570).
Climate changes, such as global warming, affect the water temperature in which these microorganisms live. Thus, their habitual habitat is violated, which negatively affects their functions and carries other undesirable consequences. In addition, the increase in water temperature contributes to its density, which is reflected in stratification, circulation, organizational dispersal, and nutrient transport (Cavicchioli et al. 571). Thus, focusing research activities on the ocean will provide an understanding of limiting the consequences of climate change to preserve microorganisms.
Hence, examining a water resource in the context of the environment and climate change has several reasons. The first is the need to assess the current situation regarding the level of ocean pollution, its temperature, and the condition of its inhabitants. Another reason is gaining awareness of the methods to limit this problem. It is essential to understand that the cause of climate change is human activity. In other words, to resolve the issues under discussion, it is essential to pay attention to how human production and waste from it can spoil such a valuable resource as water.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this research paper considered the need to explore the ocean in space. Considering the justifications for this action, it showed that despite the technological and scientific advancements that space exploration can bring, the ocean is of greater importance to humanity. This is because individuals, first of all, must carefully take care of the planet they inhabit to improve the environment and the quality of their lives.
Thus, ocean exploration has valuable aspects such as health care assistance, including developing medicines and new ways to treat multiple diseases. The following is to improve people’s quality of life by improving water and nutrient resources. This is because the ocean is the world’s largest protein food source.
The impact of climate change on the ocean received special attention in the framework of this work. This contribution consists of increasing the temperature and acidification of water resources, which worsens the activity of aquatic microorganisms and the entire food chain. It is worth noting that it is impossible to assert the pricelessness of space exploration since it contributes to multiple innovations and avoids possible problems for humanity. However, at the moment, people need to pay more attention to the research on the planet’s water resources to preserve their sustainability.
Works Cited
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