We must understand the oceans to optimize the benefits and mitigate the hazards of living on the Ocean Planet.

• The oceans are complex, difficult to study, and largely unexplored
• The oceans cover nearly 70% of the planet and are central to the quality of life on Earth
• The dynamic behavior of the oceans drives many land-based ecosystems on the planet
• There are bold new approaches to studying the oceans
• By 2020 these new approaches can revolutionize humanity's perception and uses of our planetary ocean.

Cabled ocean observatories in the U.S. and Canada are among the bold new approaches to studying the oceans. The provision of significant electrical power and high telecommunications bandwidth in real-time to arrays of sensors on the seafloor and throughout the water column will enable scientists to conduct local investigations of global ocean processes.