In the mid-1930s, William Beebe and Otis Barton rode inside their 'bathysphere' to a depth of 3,028 feet under the ocean surface. Beebe called the world deep beneath the waves "a world as strange as that of Mars." But the desire to go explore under the sea goes back much further. In this hour, we'll trace the history of undersea exploration back into the 1800s, through the work of Beebe and Barton, and up to the modern era of submersible vehicles such as the famous Alvin. Who were the deep sea pioneers -- and what are undersea researchers today finding?

Plus, we'll talk about mining the sea floor for biological gold. Researchers called bioprospectors are trying to collect samples of deep-sea organisms, hoping that learning the genetic codes of deep sea life may help solve problems on the ocean's surface. We'll find out more. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (3-4 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Julia Jabour
Lecturer & Honours Coordinator
Institute of Antarctic & Southern Ocean Studies
Deputy Program Leader - Policy
Antarctic Climate & Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre
University of Tasmania
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

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Brad Matsen
Author, "Descent: The Heroic Discovery of the Abyss" (Pantheon, 2005)
New York, New York

Helen Rozwadowski
"Fathoming the Ocean: The Discovery and Exploration of the Deep Sea" (Belknap Press, 2005)

S. Craig Cary
Professor and Director, Center for Marine Genomics
University of Delaware Graduate College of Marine Studies
Lewes, Delaware

Books/Articles Discussed:

"Descent: The Heroic Discovery of the Abyss," by Brad Matsen . Pantheon, 2005.

"Fathoming the Ocean: The Discovery and Exploration of the Deep Sea," by Helen Rozwadowski. Belknap Press, 2005.

(find books discussed on previous broadcasts)

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This segment produced by Annette Heist and Todd Neale