Question: Why do we need to know about under water life?

Verity Nye answered on 15 Jun 2011:

That’s a very good question. We use the oceans for food, energy, transport and leisure activities. Without an understanding of the under-water life in the oceans we cannot know the consequences of our decisions and actions for our planet’s largest ecosystem. Exploring the ocean’s life has already provided benefits for our everyday lives including new medical treatments, better enzymes for industry and domestic products, and novel cosmetic ingredients. Remember too that people are curious. Trying to understand the world around us is one of humanity’s oldest endeavours. Simply wanting to know how the world works and what lives in it is a key motivation behind a lot of science.