The Mariana Trench In the Pacific Ocean, there is an underworld that has been rarely explored and contains the deepest point in the world’s oceans. It is the Mariana Trench. The exploration of the remote Mariana Trench by only a few people offers insight on what it entails to get there, what has been discovered, and the importance of this discovery in the ocean. The Mariana Trench which is also known as the Marianas Trench is a crescent-shaped trench located in the western Pacific Ocean to the east of the Mariana Islands near Japan. It is the deepest of the known trenches in the world. This area in which the trench is found is part of the western Pacific system of oceanic trenches. These trenches were caused by tectonic activity of
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Most would think no lifeforms could survive in such depths with the extreme temperatures, darkness, and immense water pressure, but they do. Over four hundred types of foraminifera, which are single-celled protists, have been found here as well as amphipods, worms, sea cucumbers, and shrimp. Along with this, a record was set for the deepest depth of a found fish. It is an unknown species of snailfish. Not only is the living of importance here, but the physical makeup of the trench is as well. Studying samples and footage taken from this area can provide a lot of information. Rock samples can provide data on the age and formation of the trench. Water and sediment can be studied for their composition and provision of nutrients. But all is not so amazing in the Mariana Trench due to human impact. There has been recent evidence showing pollution with PCBs which were banned chemicals in the 1970s, a Spam can, trash bags, and a beer can found about 16,000 feet down. At this time, the findings may seem few, but with continued exploration, there will be ongoing discoveries in the Mariana Trench as well as the task of keeping it pollution …show more content…
This was the time of space exploration interest. According to one science correspondent, “IT IS a sobering fact that more people have walked on the moon's surface than have visited Earth's lowest spot. During six Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972, 12 humans did the moonwalk. Just two have plumbed Earth's ultimate depth” (Kaplan). With more recent exploration and data, the Mariana Trench has brought awareness for the need of exploration of our oceans which cover seventy percent of our Earth’s surface with less than five percent of it explored. In 2009, President George W. Bush recognized the Mariana Trench and surrounding area as a national monument and protected zone of the United States. The Marianas Trench Marine National Monument is one of the largest marine protected areas in the
Most would think no lifeforms could survive in such depths with the extreme temperatures, darkness, and immense water pressure, but they do. Over four hundred types of foraminifera, which are single-celled protists, have been found here as well as amphipods, worms, sea cucumbers, and shrimp. Along with this, a record was set for the deepest depth of a found fish. It is an unknown species of snailfish. Not only is the living of importance here, but the physical makeup of the trench is as well. Studying samples and footage taken from this area can provide a lot of information. Rock samples can provide data on the age and formation of the trench. Water and sediment can be studied for their composition and provision of nutrients. But all is not so amazing in the Mariana Trench due to human impact. There has been recent evidence showing pollution with PCBs which were banned chemicals in the 1970s, a Spam can, trash bags, and a beer can found about 16,000 feet down. At this time, the findings may seem few, but with continued exploration, there will be ongoing discoveries in the Mariana Trench as well as the task of keeping it pollution …show more content…
This was the time of space exploration interest. According to one science correspondent, “IT IS a sobering fact that more people have walked on the moon's surface than have visited Earth's lowest spot. During six Apollo missions between 1969 and 1972, 12 humans did the moonwalk. Just two have plumbed Earth's ultimate depth” (Kaplan). With more recent exploration and data, the Mariana Trench has brought awareness for the need of exploration of our oceans which cover seventy percent of our Earth’s surface with less than five percent of it explored. In 2009, President George W. Bush recognized the Mariana Trench and surrounding area as a national monument and protected zone of the United States. The Marianas Trench Marine National Monument is one of the largest marine protected areas in the