OCEAN SCIENCES AND NATIONAL SECURITY 55 



H. THE AESTHETIC QUALITIES OF THE SEA 



From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted 

 to the Earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free. 

 Buoyed by water, he can fly in any direction — up, down, sideways — by merely 

 flipping his hand. Underwater, man becomes an archangel. 



This poetic description by Jacques Cousteau of man's recent per- 

 sonal penetration of the sea characterizes a readily overlooked relation- 

 ship of man and the oceans. There are now over 1 million skindivers 

 who have found the sea a source of relaxation and recreation — a 

 source even of insphation. A major industry has evolved to provide 

 these enthusiasts with aqualungs and other specialized breathing 

 apparatus. This development fm-ther characterizes emerging cul- 

 tural patterns in which paid vacations play an increasing role. More 

 people will be headmg for the beaches to swim, to fish, or to skindive, 

 and considerable investments can be expected of facilities for their use. 



Oceanic research enters this picture prominently in terms, for 

 example, of the populations and distribution of marine life, not only 

 for commercial fisheries, but for sport. The popularity of resorts 

 quickly passes when the sands are eroded, sharks invade areas pre- 

 viously populated only by human swimmers, or the normally heavy 

 stocks of fish disappear; the economic depression which attends such 

 changes have marked effects on these local areas. 



Probably as many as 5.4 million Americans relax by fishing in the 

 ocean and this number appears destined to increase. The importance 

 of this activity has been cited by the Sport Fishing Institute in their 

 support of pendmg legislation. 



