Ocean Museum

Author: Tan Zheng, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1996-12-01
Features: Now, the whole world is facing the three major issues of population, resources, and environment. China faces even more prominent challenges in this regard. The ocean covers 71% of the Earth's total area. Relying on science and technology to rationally develop the ocean is one of the important solutions to these problems. After the large-scale development of land resources, humans have begun to explore the ocean, which is rich in biological resources, mineral resources, and inexhaustible energy. In addition to offshore oil, coal, and gas, the reserves of deuterium alone are in the trillions. In a thermonuclear reactor, 1 kilogram of deuterium produces as much energy as burning 5,000 tons of coal. Therefore, the ocean contains inexhaustible energy. China has vast continental shelves and exclusive economic zones, with continental shelves at depths of less than 200 meters covering at least 400,000 square nautical miles, equivalent to 2.2 billion mu. According to biologists' statistics, the annual growth rate of organisms in shallow seas is equivalent to 2,000 kilocalories per square meter per year, while farmland on land is approximately 3,000 kilocalories per square meter per year. Thus, 2 mu of sea surface is equivalent to 1 mu of prime farmland. In modern society, humans are increasingly dependent on the ocean in all aspects. In fact, the ocean is the cradle of all life on Earth. According to paleontological research, life on Earth emerged in the ocean at least 3 billion years ago. From prokaryotic organisms to eukaryotic organisms, it was not until the Cambrian period of the Paleozoic era (570 million years ago) that various plants and animals appeared in the ocean. It was not until the Silurian period (440 million years ago) that plants and animals began to "climb" onto land, marking the beginning of the evolution of terrestrial flora and fauna. Therefore, the ocean is also the home of human ancestors. This is why every infant must pass through a 10-month "sea-like" life in the embryonic stage, reminding us not to forget our roots. Biologists refer to this phenomenon as the "re-enactment of the evolutionary history of the lineage in the development process of an individual organism." Now, after being away from the ocean for 400 million years, the task of humans is to return to the ocean. China has a large population of 1.2 billion now, which is expected to approach 1.3 billion by the end of this century and may exceed 1.5 billion by the middle of the next century. Food and protein supply pose a major challenge to the future of the Chinese nation. While developing land resources, we must also strive to develop the ocean. The offshore fishing industry must undergo significant development, with organized efforts to fish for krill near Antarctica, lobsters and king crabs near the Arctic. The Ministry of Agriculture's Fisheries Department has successfully initiated this process. In the coming decades, this fishing industry should see substantial growth. In recent years, China's offshore aquaculture has developed greatly, with tremendous potential. If it achieves an annual yield of 100 kilograms of fish per mu, the descendants of the Chinese nation would receive at least 100 kilograms of animal protein per capita. This type of marine animal protein is highly digestible and plays a significant role in the development of the human brain and physical strength. The ocean also holds many other resources that can be developed, such as offshore oil and gas resources, deep-sea manganese nodules, and harnessing tidal and temperature differences for power generation. These all fall under the high-tech field, and whoever breaks through first will gain the advantage. Developing the ocean is an endeavor with strong interdisciplinary integration, requiring the participation of all disciplines. Developing the ocean, protecting the ecosystem, and preventing pollution are not only in the interests of the Chinese nation itself but are also closely linked to the interests of people around the world. China should make its own contributions to protecting the ocean, the source of human life and the entire biosphere, from pollution. The Bohai, Yellow, South China, and East China Seas in China are rich in resources. The development and transportation of these resources, the protection of marine ecological environments, the prevention and control of pollution, the advancement of marine science and technology, and the survey and development of islands and coastal zones all require strong coordination among industries and collaboration across disciplines. The "Ocean Technology Policy" appropriately proposes that attention should be paid to "enhancing the overall capacity for researching and utilizing the ocean." Through appropriate policies, the marine science and technology workforce should be guided to form collective advantages, solve key technological challenges in marine development, and thus improve the level of marine development. Marine development takes place in a three-dimensional environment. Oil and gas fields are buried on the seabed, waters are fishing grounds, the surface is for navigation, and conflicts between industries are inevitable. Only when all industries develop can the overall benefits of marine development be improved. Therefore, we must strengthen macro-level coordination and management, adopt appropriate measures to resolve certain conflicts, and ensure coordinated development across industries. Everyone should approach problems from a global perspective. The ocean benefits humanity but also brings some disasters: typhoons, tsunamis, El Ni?o, and so on. The 42nd Session of the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 169, declaring the 1990s as the "International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction," calling for efforts by all countries to reduce disaster impacts by 50%. China is a region with relatively frequent marine disasters and is one of the eight most disaster-prone areas in the world. Direct economic losses caused by marine natural disasters are severe. In 1989 alone, there were six different levels of storm surge disasters. It is estimated that direct economic losses caused by storm surges, floods, and heavy rains are over 5 billion yuan annually. Pollution and ecological damage are global issues, including marine pollution and ecological damage. Protecting marine ecological environments requires the joint efforts of all countries in the world. Marine pollution and resource destruction in China are also very serious. Hepatitis A outbreaks in Shanghai in 1988 and red tides in many coastal areas in recent years are both related to marine pollution. However, is very difficult and requires high-intensity investment. Therefore, protecting marine ecological environments must place special emphasis on prevention, which requires us to conduct forward-looking research on the self-purification capacity of marine areas, control key pollution sources, and adopt multiple prevention and control measures. In summary, marine development and protection are major issues of strategic significance and should be studied as a major national policy. All industries must work together to develop, utilize, and protect the ocean. We must prioritize key technologies with development potential, addressing current major challenges while also preparing for large-scale marine development in the 21st century. For example, the current severe water scarcity in northern China could be significantly if breakthroughs are made in the direct utilization of seawater technology, allowing for large-scale use of seawater in coastal industries and agriculture, saving hundreds of billions of tons of fresh water annually and greatly alleviating water shortages. We should organize efforts to more extensively develop and utilize marine animal protein and other food sources, contributing more to increasing food supply. Strengthening research on marine science and technology issues, expanding the marine science and technology research and development workforce, cultivating more talent, increasing investment in marine science and technology, and accelerating the development of marine technology industries are urgent tasks facing the Chinese nation and the main content of the marine technology policy. The ocean is a vital place for human survival and development. In the last few years of this century, countries around the world are paying more attention to the ocean. The 1992 UN World Conference on Environment and Development adopted the "Agenda 21 for the 21st Century," stating that the marine environment is an integral whole, a fundamental component of the global life support system, and a valuable asset for achieving sustainable development. The "United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea" entered into force on November 16, 1994, and China ratified it on May 15, 1996. The entry into force of the "United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea" marks the beginning of an era of peaceful use and comprehensive management of the ocean on a larger scale. The 49th Session of the UN General Assembly declared 1998 as the "International Year of the Ocean." The ocean has become a focal point of global development, a treasure of humanity, and the future of humanity lies in the ocean. It is reasonable to believe that the 21st century will be a new era of marine development. Today and tomorrow, as humans return to the ocean, the major tasks before us are scientific management of the ocean, protection of the marine environment, maintenance of ecological balance, and the rational development and utilization of marine resources.