﻿MAR. 
  4, 
  1922 
  PARIS 
  : 
  some 
  problems 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  119 
  

  

  supply, 
  which 
  the 
  tillable 
  land 
  areas 
  of 
  the 
  earth 
  are 
  daily 
  growing 
  

   less 
  and 
  less 
  able 
  to 
  meet, 
  as 
  evidenced 
  by 
  the 
  rising 
  basic 
  costs 
  of 
  

   food. 
  Sea 
  foods 
  have 
  been 
  looked 
  upon 
  as 
  desirable, 
  but 
  not 
  abso- 
  

   lutely 
  essential, 
  parts 
  of 
  human 
  diet. 
  They 
  may 
  soon 
  become 
  nec- 
  

   essary 
  to 
  supplement 
  an 
  inadequate 
  food 
  supply 
  from 
  the 
  lands. 
  

  

  It 
  was 
  the 
  belief 
  of 
  Sir 
  John 
  Murray 
  that 
  the 
  sea 
  is 
  capable 
  of 
  a 
  

   productivity 
  equal 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  land. 
  It 
  is 
  generally 
  estimated 
  

   that 
  less 
  than 
  five 
  per 
  cent 
  of 
  man's 
  food 
  now 
  comes 
  from 
  the 
  sea. 
  

   If 
  so, 
  then 
  the 
  sea 
  has 
  unrealized 
  possibilities 
  of 
  utilization 
  that 
  are 
  

   vast 
  from 
  the 
  economic 
  standpoint, 
  and 
  a 
  comprehensive 
  study 
  of 
  

   these 
  possibilities 
  should 
  not 
  be 
  overlooked 
  or 
  neglected, 
  especially 
  

   by 
  maritime 
  nations. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  land 
  areas 
  are 
  made 
  subservient 
  to 
  the 
  practical 
  needs 
  of 
  

   man 
  just 
  so 
  must 
  the 
  sea 
  be 
  made 
  more 
  useful 
  in 
  supplying 
  the 
  needs 
  

   of 
  the 
  human 
  race, 
  both 
  physical 
  and 
  cultural. 
  But 
  the 
  utilization 
  

   of 
  the 
  resources 
  of 
  the 
  ocean 
  must 
  and 
  will 
  follow 
  its 
  scientific 
  investi- 
  

   gation 
  and 
  study. 
  Let 
  us 
  find 
  out 
  what 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  sea, 
  and 
  then 
  learn 
  

   how 
  to 
  apply 
  it 
  to 
  our 
  needs. 
  

  

  As 
  our 
  frontiers 
  are 
  pushed 
  farther 
  and 
  farther 
  toward 
  the 
  limits 
  

   of 
  our 
  country 
  we 
  hear 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  about 
  the 
  conservation 
  of 
  

   our 
  natural 
  resources, 
  while 
  here 
  on 
  the 
  borders 
  of 
  the 
  continent 
  lie 
  

   untold 
  resources 
  awaiting 
  our 
  investigation 
  and 
  industrial 
  development. 
  

   So 
  whatever 
  science 
  can 
  do 
  in 
  its 
  investigation 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  and 
  all 
  

   that 
  therein 
  is, 
  cannot 
  fail 
  to 
  have 
  its 
  important 
  interest 
  for 
  us 
  in 
  the 
  

   practical 
  bearings 
  it 
  must 
  eventually 
  have 
  upon 
  our 
  daily 
  lives. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  sea, 
  as 
  in 
  no 
  other 
  place, 
  do 
  we 
  observe 
  the 
  tireless 
  energy 
  

   of 
  the 
  universe 
  depicted 
  at 
  all 
  times. 
  The 
  hydrosphere, 
  like 
  the 
  atmos- 
  

   phere, 
  is 
  never 
  still 
  in 
  all 
  its 
  parts. 
  It 
  epitomizes 
  and 
  visualizes 
  the 
  

   energies 
  of 
  creation. 
  And 
  the 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  the 
  sea, 
  by 
  long 
  processes 
  

   of 
  adaptation, 
  are 
  no 
  doubt 
  dependent 
  upon, 
  and 
  aided 
  by, 
  these 
  

   ceaseless 
  motions 
  which 
  assist 
  their 
  distribution 
  and 
  prevent 
  over- 
  

   crowding, 
  and 
  aid 
  in 
  the 
  provision 
  of 
  food 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  necessary 
  con- 
  

   dition 
  of 
  their 
  life. 
  The 
  circulation 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  is 
  a 
  vital 
  

   benefit 
  to 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  ocean 
  creatures, 
  just 
  as 
  air 
  circulation 
  is 
  vital 
  

   to 
  the 
  living 
  organisms 
  of 
  the 
  land. 
  The 
  circulation 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  

   in 
  the 
  great 
  ocean 
  streams 
  has 
  also 
  a 
  climatic 
  influence 
  upon 
  the 
  

   life 
  on 
  the 
  land 
  areas 
  of 
  the 
  world 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  upon 
  the 
  life 
  in 
  the 
  sea.. 
  

   It 
  is 
  the 
  climatic 
  balance 
  wheel 
  for 
  many 
  regions, 
  ever 
  striving 
  to- 
  

   ward 
  an 
  equilibrium 
  which 
  fortunately 
  is 
  never 
  quite 
  attained. 
  The 
  

   sea 
  has 
  its 
  seasons 
  no 
  less 
  than 
  the 
  land. 
  

  

  