Ocean Research Argumentative Essay
The ocean has captivated mankind since the beginning of time. The Challenger Expedition, the first modern oceanography expedition, only began in 1872(“History of Oceanography”). Why was it that we ignored ocean research for so long? We have only “dipped our toes in the water” (Cousteau 194) and many people are afraid of taking a dive. However, ocean exploration is most certainly worth the risks, as the benefits of ocean research far outweigh the risks. Just two benefits of ocean research include new medicines and a new source for renewable energy.
First and foremost, we should explore the ocean as it is chock full of organisms, many of which have great medicinal properties. The common horseshoe crab exemplifies this the best. It has a special blood that clots easily, and this is of great use to drug testers. Scientists can use it to find bacteria in vaccines. Previously, they had to use rabbits, which was slow, inefficient, and harmful to the rabbit. This test, called the limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) test, is now used everywhere. In fact, all FDA-approved drugs must be tested with the LAL test first. (Khalid). …show more content…
Why haven’t we tapped into this valuable resource yet? Amitai Etzioni, a professor and advocate for ocean exploration, stated in his article Final Frontier vs. Fruitful Frontier: The Case for Increasing Ocean Exploration that,”BOEM [Bureau of Ocean Energy Management] further estimates that total worldwide power potential from currents is five terawatts—about a quarter of predicted global energy demand for 2020—and that “capturing just 1/1,000th of the available energy from the Gulf Stream…would supply Florida with 35% of its electrical needs.” The ocean also has untouched reserves of hydrocarbon fuels (Etzioni). These are both sources of energy that the world greatly needs right now. If ocean expeditions are funded, we can learn more about these valuable
First and foremost, we should explore the ocean as it is chock full of organisms, many of which have great medicinal properties. The common horseshoe crab exemplifies this the best. It has a special blood that clots easily, and this is of great use to drug testers. Scientists can use it to find bacteria in vaccines. Previously, they had to use rabbits, which was slow, inefficient, and harmful to the rabbit. This test, called the limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) test, is now used everywhere. In fact, all FDA-approved drugs must be tested with the LAL test first. (Khalid). …show more content…
Why haven’t we tapped into this valuable resource yet? Amitai Etzioni, a professor and advocate for ocean exploration, stated in his article Final Frontier vs. Fruitful Frontier: The Case for Increasing Ocean Exploration that,”BOEM [Bureau of Ocean Energy Management] further estimates that total worldwide power potential from currents is five terawatts—about a quarter of predicted global energy demand for 2020—and that “capturing just 1/1,000th of the available energy from the Gulf Stream…would supply Florida with 35% of its electrical needs.” The ocean also has untouched reserves of hydrocarbon fuels (Etzioni). These are both sources of energy that the world greatly needs right now. If ocean expeditions are funded, we can learn more about these valuable