Many coastal and deep ocean areas of the world’s natural and sunken cultural resources have not been adequately explored or well documented. This is particularly true of coastal states not possessing significant revenues from undersea resources needed to fund exploration.

Many coastal States do not posses the technical expertise to document and develop sustainable management of these natural and man-made undersea resources.

This lack of knowledge creates an environment for uncontrolled exploitation of delicate marine systems or irreplaceable submerged cultural resources.

Limited marine education reduces awareness of this situation among the citizens placing the marine environment and its many resources at further risk.