Hey there fellow divers and ocean enthusiasts.

I am currently doing research for an article that will hopefully be published later this year. The purpose of this article is to discuss the question “Why is it important to send humans into the deep in order to conduct in situ investigations for the purpose of researching our oceans”?

The question arises through the discussions about using remote sensors and remote or autonomous vehicles for doing undersea research instead of placing humans at risk by “going there” in person.

Things to consider are the use of DSV’s, hard 1atm suits, ambient pressure dive suits, surface supplied systems, scuba and undersea habitats such as NOAA’s Aquarius and MRDF’s MarineLab.

Related questions to consider might be: Should we have a permanent undersea research station that is “manned” such as the International Space Station? Why should we travel to the depths of the ocean when we can send a machine to do the same thing? What are the pros & cons of doing research either way?

I will appreciate any input (on either side of the discussion). Please include your reasoning for the opinions that you share with me.