Primary Research Proposal (500-ish Wd)

In my last post, I talked about the interviews I’m hoping to do.  So far, neither Richard M. Strickland nor Peter Koetsier have responded to my requests.  I hope I hear from them within the next week.  Otherwise, I won’t know what to do.

In my interviews, I’m hoping to ask a few overall questions to start things off.  Then I will transition to more specific questions.  There are two main points to ocean research I wish to cover: the technology and the effect.  I’ll explain what I mean by each of these.

In “the technology,” I’ll ask his or her opinion of things like, the Bathysphere, the Bathyscaphe, Alvin, remote submersibles, and the Poseidon Undersea Resort.  They have a huge impact on ocean research, but what kind of impact do they have?

This leads us to “the effect.”  This point is that many of these tools we use to explore or experience the unknown may be actually harming it.  I really mean, did the Bathysphere open a new way to explore or did it doom the environment of the deep?  What kind of effect would an undersea resort have on the fragile ecosystem of a coral reef?  These questions could spawn numerous others as the interview progresses.

These ocean research sections could be very broad questions.  Things like:

1. What is exploration to you?
2. What, in your opinion, leads people to explore very dangerous places, like the deep ocean?
3. The mystery of the ocean has intrigued people throughout history.  Where does this interest come from?
etc.

These can be tough questions to answer.  I don’t want to go too hard on them, but I also want useful, strong answers.

I’ll give a brief description of the first submersible, the Bathysphere, and how it worked.  Then I’ll ask:

1. What do you think of Beebe and Barton, who, despite the danger and limitations of their Bathysphere, dove into the ocean and made that first dive?

2. What kind of lesson can we learn from them?

Then I might move on to Piccard, who dove to the Mariana trench and ask about that.

All this ocean research has led to great advancements in submersible technology.  Specialized acrylics that can withstand huge amounts of pressure and breathing tanks, like scuba technology, have made it possible for your average person to explore the ocean.  They have also led to things like undersea resorts.

This would be more specific and the controversial topic of my interview.

1. Can the Poseidon Undersea Resort harm the coral reef on which it is built?
2. As our underwater technology increases, do you believe more resorts will open underwater?
3. If their number increases, the cost will most likely drop, making it more available to average people.  How can we protect the environment when everyone is free to scuba wherever they please with no surveillance?
4. Or, will the ocean become overly regulated and protected to prevent harm to the environment.
5. If you had the funds, would you stay in the Poseidon Undersea Resort?  Why or why not?

These questions are very specific to the fragile coral reefs, not deep-sea research.  There is a relationship between the two, though, and who’s to say we won’t eventually build a resort at the bottom of the deep-ocean.  If we do, what will happen to the world down there?

I'm hoping to ask more questions, but not all to one person.  That way, I won't over-question a person.