The volcanic features, Target K and Naung, explored during the 2010 Indonesia-USA Deep-Sea Exploration of the Sangihe Talaud Region expedition, have very similar conical shapes and depths at summits around 450-500 meters. Image courtesy of NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research. Download larger version (jpg, 392 KB).
In honor of World Oceans Day, we asked our team what inspires them about the ocean. Check out their responses below!
Kevin: Its vastness and variability. At times you can travel for weeks without seeing other vessels or any signs of marine life, especially in areas of thick fog. Other areas are teeming with vessels and marine life. Similarly, the ocean can be unbelievably calm and serene or it can be extremely rough, exhilarating, and what was once described to me as “sporty.”
Julian: “It’s the final frontier.”
Dave: The first time I glimpsed a view of the Pacific as a little kid was when I knew where my calling was. The vast deep blue abyss of water and the curiously strange creatures that resided underneath it were my inspiration to study marine biology. There is a certain feeling you get when you sail out to the middle of the ocean with no land in sight, or when you swim far beneath its depths alongside the fishes of the sea. It is indescribable, but those who know it understand why we can never be away from it for long.
Kate: The idea that the vast amounts of unknown about our oceans is a catalyst for future scientific inquiry and knowledge.
Kasey: How marine life persists and adapts. I am constantly amazed at how there is life, often an abundance of life, in some of the harshest conditions. In the deep sea where it is really cold, there’s no light, and the pressure is immense, there are thriving diverse communities!
Lindsay: The quote “somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known” says it all.
Abbie: The ocean inspires me because it represents a vast, unexplored part of our world. It is such an integral part of everyday lives, yet we still know so little about it. I pursued a career in an ocean-related field so that I could become a steward for our world’s underwater cultural heritage and teach future generations about the importance of the ocean.
