We tend to imagine the deep ocean as a largely empty void, but after nearly seventy years of exploration, humans have visually observed less than 0.001% of its seafloor — an area roughly the size of Rhode Island, despite the deep ocean covering two-thirds of Earth

We tend to imagine the deep ocean as a largely empty void, but after nearly seventy years of exploration, humans have visually observed less than 0.001% of its seafloor — an area roughly the size of Rhode Island, despite the deep ocean covering two-thirds of Earth

body.single-post h1.entry-title,body.single-post .entry-title{text-transform:none!important;} The deep ocean is often treated as a blank space: dark, cold, far away and mostly empty. But a 2025 analysis argues that the real problem is not emptiness. It is our lack of direct sight. After decades of submersibles, remotely operated vehicles and deep-sea cameras, humans have visually observed less than 0.001% of the deep seafloor. The figure comes f…