The Georgia Aquarium’s program that provides scuba experiences in their large exhibits made recent national headlines…

Embedded video from CNN Video

Aquariums are the critical link that provide as close to an interactive experience between humans and ocean life as it gets. The realities are, that today, only a minuscule fraction of Earth’s citizens are afforded a firsthand glimpse beneath the seas. We have such a long, long way to go to increase this accessibility to the masses, which will ultimately result in a greater global understanding and appreciation of the value of our oceans.

These dive experiences are an excellent step in the right direction, in improving the underwater experience for those who may be able to travel to all corners of the planet to see things in their natural habitats. In the future, we may even see underwater theme parks which provide basic scuba instruction, and an interactive tour of all of Earth’s ocean ecosystems.

After all, we cannot protect what we do not understand; and we will never understand what we do not appreciate. For the human species, we only appreciate what we experience.