Under Water Exploration Research Paper

Dangers of Underwater Exploration There are over fifty careers that have a sort of connection to underwater exploration. Many people explore for a living and others only for personal interest such as scuba diving. There have been many theories about objects getting lost in the ocean and many people go deep in the ocean to find them. For example, the lost land of Atlantis is said to have silver and gold (Drye). Based on Plato’s writings, philosophers say that as punishment to the half-god-half-human culture, the gods sent fire and earthquakes to sink the land (Drye). Hundreds of people are in search for this lost empire because if it is found they will earn a fortune of many lifetimes. It would be amazing to see something as valuable as this, …show more content…
Oxygen can become poisonous when scuba divers “breathe an excessively high partial pressure (concentration) of oxygen” (Gibb). Symptoms include: distorted vision, jerking, nausea, and lightheadedness. Oxygen Toxicity can take place in the Central Nervous System, mainly in the brain, and kills cells which causes divers to experience “convulsions and unconsciousness” (Gibb). In this case the victim is prone to drown and possibly die. Not only can Oxygen Toxicity take place in the Central Nervous System but also in the lungs. It is called Pulmonary Oxygen Toxicity and this occurs when cells are killed or damaged in the lungs (Gibb). Divers can experience, “a burning sensation in the trachea, … difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, and uncontrollable coughing” (Gibb). Another serious illness that can lead to a tragic death is Pulmonary Embolism. Similarly to Decompression Sickness, it occurs when ascending at a quick pace. According to Edwin Thomas, “the gas a diver breathes [becomes] denser.” With increased pressure, the air in the lungs start compressing while the lungs expand (Thomas). Soon enough the lungs may expand so much that they “pop like a balloon” (Thomas). This can be avoided by breathing at a constant pace without stopping and ascending to the surface slowly without a …show more content…
Divers must be aware that they are interfering with other creatures territories and they may feel threatened. Corals, for example, could be harmful when touched. “A coral head is composed of hard (sometimes sharp) limestone support covered by thousands of tiny coral animals” (Gibb). Corals can sting and cut divers but most of all the most slightest touch could kill many coral polyps (Gibb). In addition, pufferfish are deadly creatures that are also known as blowfish. They are named after its ability to “suck in water and swell to twice its normal size” (Britt). This species, similar to corals, are only harmful to the touch (Britt). They contain tetrodotoxin which is poisoning, deadly, and stronger than cyanide (Britt). As well as corals and pufferfish, stonefish are also a threat to divers unaware of their surroundings. It is the “most venomous fish in the world” and it has the ability to camouflage on seafloor (Britt). Most divers mistake them for rocks and step on the fish and its spine which contains the venom (Britt). The injection of this venom can cause “temporary paralysis and death if not treated” (Britt). Many professionals always stress the importance of wetsuits mainly because generally it is cold deep in the ocean but also to have a slight prevention against sea urchins and box jellyfish. Sea urchins are “sharp and brittle” and can cause major cuts (Gibb). Apart