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Ocean exploration has come a long way since Jacques Cousteau and Émile Gagnan invented the Aqua-Lung in 1943 , an apparatus that allowed humans to breathe underwater for limited periods of time . But much about the body of water that occupies a whopping 71 % of the earth ’ s surface remains unknown . Specifically , only around 20 % of the global seafloor has been mapped thus far . Efforts to do so have been splintered as different organizations conducting projects have mostly operated in silos .
But working with only a limited map of the ocean floor remains a big problem for one looming reason : climate change .
PHOTO BY VICKI SMITH / GETTY IMAGES