Today, two-thirds of ocean life still remains undiscovered. The ocean, an abode for mighty creatures and the life source of earth, expands over 70 percent of the planet’s surface. It is full of mysteries and secrets, but we still know so little about what its massive environment hides. Why should we spend billions of dollars each year on space exploration when we barely know about our own home habitat?

According to an article by Jason Koebler from U.S. News, even though progress continues to be made each year by scientists and experts, the rate of discovery is extremely slow and tiring. For example, scientists currently estimate that there are 5000 species of undiscovered fish. Expedition teams have been discovering about 150 species of fish each year; however, it will take more than 30 toilsome years to accomplish such a task. Additionally, new species of ocean life have been identified each day. For instance, over the past decade, more than 1000 new species of crabs, lobsters, shrimps, sea snakes, whales, and dolphins have been discovered. Although this may seem like an impressive number of new identified species, about 95 percent of the earth’s ocean still remains unexplored and a mystery to us.

It is crucial to discover and venture while we can of the mysterious yet magnificent ocean before mankind destroys its habitats and creatures that dwell there. Even though the magnitude of this problem is tremendous, it could be simply solved if we put our hard-earned money into ocean exploration instead of space exploration. If we act now, we could still preserve what is left and begin uncovering the unknown. Such new discoveries would provide infinite possibilities of better preserving the earth, keeping oceans safe and thriving, and understanding our home planet.