Ocean
LifeA rich
variety of resources, both organic and inorganic, exists below the surface of
the sea. Here, a young turtle makes its way through a living labyrinth built by
coral and other organisms on the rocky ocean floor. Estimates indicate that the
ocean is capable of producing as much as 200 million metric tons of harvestable
organic matter and may contain more than 10 billion tons of gold. The only
difficulty in tapping these resources is the complex interrelationship between
the chemistry, geology, and physics of the sea. It is nearly impossible to alter
one without impacting the others.
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