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Victor Vescovo, for example, has completed 15 successful of economically important natural and cultural resources. submersible dives to Challenger Deep in the DNV-certi? ed For these reasons, I signed an agreement with Victor Vescovo submersible Limiting Factor, in addition to reaching all four which we described in our previous editorial in the “The Fi- of the ocean’s 10,000+ meter deepest points. In the case of nal Word” section of the November/December 2022 issue of unmanned exploration, during my tenure with the National Marine Technology Reporter. This agreement between NOAA

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA), I initi- and Caladan Oceanic resulted in the survey of over 1 million ated the 2020 national strategy to map, explore, and character- square kilometers of previously unsurveyed sea? oor, includ- ize the ocean in the U.S. EEZ, the implementation plan for ing the mapping of the Aleutian Trench for the ? rst time, as which emphasizes the use of autonomous underwater systems well as the most precise depth measurement of Challenger and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). Deep. As we argued in the article, bene? cial accomplishments

Ocean exploration is about much more than the purpose of like these will continue to accrue as long as regulations do not

OceanGate’s expedition – adventure tourism. At stake are the overly restrict their safe and sustainable execution. he mas- immense bene? ts to national, natural, and economic security sive media response to the OceanGate tragedy showcased a of such activity. Consider the Woods Hole Oceanographic In- cadre of commentators who have decades of leadership in the stitution’s human occupied vehicle Alvin. For over six decades, arena of ocean science, technology, and discovery. These in- the Of? ce of Naval Research has sponsored research using the cluded Dr. Robert Ballard, the man who found Titanic, and submersible to gain valuable technical knowledge for the U.S. James Cameron, producer of the Oscar winning ? lm about

Navy’s undersea warfare capabilities. Similarly, for over two the tragic ship. The common denominator between them and decades NOAA’s Of? ce Ocean of Exploration and Research the unfortunate crew of Titan was an unbounded interest in has managed ocean mapping and scienti? c discovery missions undersea exploration. If we wish to honor the lives of these to inform sustainable ? sheries management, development of fellow explorers lost too soon, we should not put a pause on offshore renewable and nonrenewable energy, and protection what was their greatest passion. www.marinetechnologynews.com 9

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