Why is it difficult to find all of the undiscovered species in the ocean?
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1. It’s a big ocean. Like 2/3 of the planet, and miles deep.
2. Most species live below the surface. Unless you’re in a submersible you’re not going to encounter them.
3. Many species live far beneath the surface where light doesn’t penetrate. It takes extra equipment (lights, sonar, etc) to even detect their presence, but coarse resolution makes it difficult to study their fine details.
4. Many species live way, way down in the ocean where pressures are extremely dangerous to humans. Going that deep even once is extremely expensive. Going that deep across the entire ocean surface is financially impossible.
In short, it’s relatively easy to discover a species on the surface because we can survive here long enough to encounter them.
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