RESOURCES IN TECHNOLOGY.

The article discusses issues related to the deep-sea exploration. Only a portion of the potential of the oceans has been tapped, but it is clear that exploring and improving the understanding of the ocean and its influence on global events are among the most important challenges today. Few locations on Earth are as remote as the deep oceans. Deep-sea exploration is the investigation of the physical, chemical, and biological conditions at the bottom of the ocean for scientific and commercial purposes. One of the first instruments used to investigate the ocean floor was the sounding weight. Although there had been attempts, even in antiquity, to work underwater, humans had never been able to penetrate very far into the depths until the 1930s. Modern research submersibles generally have manipulators, lighting, cameras, and sensors allowing detailed observations and experiments. Among the most notable submersible discoveries has been the finding of chemosynthetic life at hydrothermal vents, studies of undersea volcanoes and their eruptions, and hundreds of previously unknown species of deep-sea animals. To that effect, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has developed an extensive curriculum for teachers of Grades 6-12 that uses a set of 165 hands-on and standards-based lesson plans that have the capability of bringing entire classrooms "on board" for exploration and discovery.