What will the ocean look like in the future?

The Ocean in My Mind

With the advancement of science and technology and the development of the times, a new era of ocean development has arrived. In developing the oceans, people will extract more wealth from them more efficiently. More and more countries are planning to establish or have already established undersea gardens and undersea pastures. People are gradually transitioning from the past era of simple ocean fishing to the future era of "farming the sea". In the not-too-distant future, people will work better and more efficiently in undersea gardens and pastures than in farms and pastures on land, because the unit output of ocean aquaculture is higher than that of land cultivation for the same area. 100 times. People will cultivate large quantities of seaweed and seaweed to supply cattle, pigs, sheep, etc. on land as feed, thereby obtaining more protein. The total output of the world's underwater gardens will soon jump from the current 20 million tons to 50 million tons. , a large amount of seaweed, seaweed, etc. will also be harvested by underwater combine harvesters, and then hoisted to the ship by steel cables.

In the near future, the fishing nets that people have used for fishing for generations will be replaced by powerful water-absorbing devices that use light emitted by electric fields, sounds of a certain frequency and special compounds dissolved in the water to lure and The fish are forced to gather together and swim close to the water suction pipe placed on the boat. The water suction pipe sucks the water and fish into the cabin together. By then, together with the various fish and shrimps provided to humans by seabed pastures, the seafood that people obtain from the ocean will reach more than 1 billion tons, which is more than ten times or even dozens of times more than what is currently demanded from the ocean.

As the world's demand for oil, natural gas and other resources continues to grow and people exploit these resources in large quantities, these resources on land will become increasingly depleted. People are bound to turn their attention to the ocean or find new energy sources. It is estimated. The oil reserves on the seabed are about 90 billion tons. The oil reserves in the Arctic Ocean alone can last the world for 50 years. At present, more than 100 countries and regions have carried out continental shelf and deep-sea oil exploration and exploitation, and more than 500 oil and gas fields have been discovered. The implementation of a ten-year world ocean edge drilling plan is nearing completion. Explore and exploit seabed oil and build production bases on the seabed. For transportation problems after submarine oil is extracted, large submarines will be used. Imagine sinking a giant plastic cylinder to the bottom of the sea, loading it with 100,000 tons of crude oil, and towing it by a submarine. Some people also design to use spaceships for shipment.

There is huge energy in the ocean, which people call the "blue sea of ??coal", which will be converted into energy for the future of mankind. Future ocean thermal energy conversion plants will be set up in the sea, and cables can be used to supply urban electricity along the coast. Heavy water, known as the "fuel of the future," has a much higher content in seawater than in land water. Isotopes of hydrogen can be extracted from heavy water, and scientists are using it to conduct thermonuclear reaction experiments. If successful, it will become an inexhaustible energy source.

In the not too distant future, people will build "undersea cities". This is no longer a fantasy, but a reality. At present, Japan has built a "small city" for maritime swimming for Arab countries. It is mostly made of steel and has a 6-story building in the center. It has an indoor small garden, a cinema, and all water and electricity are supplied by itself. It can meet the cultural and entertainment needs of offshore oil production workers. This floating "city" is held up by eight tall pillars. When they are stowed away, they can be used as a boat. In the future, many offshore factories will be built in sea areas near raw material production areas or markets to provide material needs for residents of maritime cities. There is a "Sea Park" in Ryukushi Bay southwest of Shikoku Island in Japan. People can enjoy the wonders of the sea through 16 glass windows with a diameter of 60 cm: strange-shaped reefs, colorful corals, and all kinds of strange and beautiful things. Fish and interesting starfish, sea anemones, etc. Since the United States was the first to build an underwater laboratory, many countries have followed suit and built "steel houses" and other buildings on the seabed. The air pressure inside the "house" is the same as that of the sea surface. People can work normally inside and repair submarine oil and gas. Wells, salvaging sunken ships, seabed exploration or supplying submarines, etc. It is also reported that a group of Japanese engineers and architects. It is planned to build the world's first "Ocean City" on the sea 120 kilometers away from Tokyo to solve the problem of human settlement in the future. Ocean City will be built on the seabed 200 meters deep. It will have a 4-story steel platform, about 70 meters above the sea, covering an area of ??23 square kilometers. The whole city will be supported by 10,000 solid straight columns. Sensing device. It can detect typhoons, tsunamis and undercurrents, and adjust its strength to resist these external pressures and maintain the stability of Ocean City. In addition to residential areas, Ocean City also has a commercial center, 400 tennis courts, 8 golf courses, two baseball fields, an artificial field for growing fruits and vegetables, and connected roads. The construction cost of Ocean City is estimated to be US$200 billion, and this huge project is expected to be completed by the end of this century. By the 21st century, this "undersea city" will be home to more than 10,000 people. At that time, the deep seabed will no longer be silent, but will become as lively as the mainland. More and more people will explore and build it. , use your own wisdom and hands to draw this huge and magnificent blueprint.

The future of the ocean shows people a brilliant prospect. The vast ocean will make a huge contribution to mankind

Ocean

The four oceans of the world

The land on the earth is spread out in all directions and separated from each other, while the seawater extends in all directions and is integrated. This continuous body of water forms the world's oceans. The world's oceans are composed of the ocean as the main body and the surrounding seas attached to it. There are four oceans in the world: the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the Arctic Ocean. There are as many as 54 major seas, such as the Mediterranean Sea, the Caribbean Sea, the Baltic Sea, the Red Sea, the South China Sea, etc. Now, let us take a tour of the four oceans of the world!

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the ocean with the largest area, the largest depth, and the most marginal seas and islands among the world's oceans. According to more information, it was first discovered and named by the Spanish explorer Basco. The word "Taiping" means "peace". In the 16th century, the Spanish navigator Magellan entered the Pacific from the Atlantic through the Strait of Magellan and arrived in the Philippines. During the voyage, the weather was clear and the waves were calm, so he named this sea area "Pacific". The Pacific Ocean is located between Asia, Oceania, America and Antarctica. The Bering Sea Strait at the north end is connected to the Arctic Ocean, to Antarctica in the south, and to the Atlantic and Indian Oceans to form the waters surrounding the Antarctic continent. The maximum length of the Pacific Ocean from north to south is about 15,900 kilometers, and the maximum width from east to west is about 109,900 kilometers. The total area is 178.68 million square kilometers, accounting for one-third of the earth's surface area and one-half of the world's ocean area. The average depth is 3957 meters and the maximum depth is 11034 meters. There are 6 trenches over 10,000 meters in the world, all concentrated in the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific Ocean has a seawater capacity of 707.1 million cubic kilometers, ranking first among the world's oceans. The Pacific Ocean contains very rich resources, especially fisheries, aquatic products and mineral resources. Its fish catch, as well as the reserves and grade of polymetallic nodules, rank first among all oceans in the world.

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean in the world. It is located between South and North America, Europe, Africa and Antarctica, running north-south and resembling an "S" shaped ocean belt. It is about 15,000 kilometers long from north to south and narrow from east to west. Its maximum width is 2,800 kilometers. The total area is approximately 91.66 million square kilometers, which is slightly more than half the area of ??the Pacific Ocean. The average depth is 3626 meters, and the deepest point is 9219 meters, located in the Puerto Rico Trench. The ocean is rich in resources and rich in fish, accounting for more than one-fifth of the world's catch. Maritime transportation in the Atlantic is particularly developed. The east and west communicate with the Indian Ocean and the Pacific via the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal respectively. Its freight volume accounts for more than two-thirds of the world's total freight volume.

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean in the world. Located between Asia, Oceania, Africa and Antarctica. It covers an area of ??approximately 76.17 million square kilometers, with an average depth of 3,397 meters, and the maximum depth of the Java Trench reaches 7,450 meters. There are ridges running roughly north-south in the middle of the ocean floor. Most of it is in the tropics, with an average water surface temperature of 20°C to 27°C. Its marginal sea, the Red Sea, is the saltiest sea in the world.

Ocean resources are the richest in oil, and the Persian Gulf is the world's largest submarine oil producing area. The Indian Ocean is the world's earliest navigation center, and its waterways were the first to be discovered and developed in the world. It is an important channel connecting Africa, Asia and Oceania. Ocean freight volume accounts for more than 10% of the world's total, with oil transportation ranking first.

Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is located in the northernmost part of the earth, roughly centered on the North Pole, between Asia, Europe and the northern coast of North America. It is the smallest in area and volume among the four oceans. The shallowest ocean. The area is about 14.79 million square kilometers, accounting for only 3.6% of the world's ocean area; the volume is 16.98 million cubic kilometers, accounting for only 1.2% of the world's ocean volume; the average depth is 1,300 meters, only one-third of the average depth of the world's oceans. The maximum depth is only 5449 meters. The Arctic Ocean is the coldest frigid ocean among the four oceans. It is covered with snow all year round and is covered with ice for thousands of miles. The solid ice covering the ocean is 3 to 4 meters thick. Whenever the water here flows southward into the Atlantic Ocean, clusters of huge icebergs can be seen floating with the waves and drifting away, like some terrifying monsters, which has brought certain challenges to human shipping. threaten. Moreover, there are two major wonders in the Arctic Ocean. The first wonder is that for almost half of the year, there is continuous darkness, just like the long night with no sunlight; while for the other half of the year, the sun shines mostly, with only day and no night. Because of this, a day and night in the Arctic Ocean seem to be one day instead of one year. In addition, when you are in the ocean, you can often see the aurora phenomenon in the Arctic sky, which is erratic, ever-changing, colorful, and very beautiful. This is the second largest wonder in the Arctic Ocean.

The difference between sea and ocean

The vast ocean, from blue to green, is beautiful and spectacular. Ocean, ocean. People always say this, but many people don't know that the sea and the ocean are not exactly the same thing, they are different from each other. So, how are they different, and how do they relate?

The ocean is the central part of the ocean and the main body of the ocean. The total area of ??the world's oceans accounts for approximately 89% of the ocean area. The water depth of the ocean is generally more than 3,000 meters, and the deepest can reach more than 10,000 meters. The ocean is far away from the land and is not affected by the land.

Its hydrology and salinity vary little. Each ocean has its own unique system of currents and tides. The water color of the ocean is blue, very transparent, and there are very few impurities in the water. There are four oceans in the world, namely the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Arctic Ocean.

The sea is at the edge of the ocean and is a subsidiary part of the ocean. The area of ??the sea accounts for about 11% of the ocean. The water depth of the sea is relatively shallow, with the average depth ranging from a few meters to two or three thousand meters. The sea is close to the continent and is affected by the continent, rivers, climate and seasons. The temperature, salinity, color and transparency of the sea water are all affected by the land and have obvious changes. In summer, the sea water warms and in winter the water temperature drops; in some sea areas, the sea water even freezes. Where large rivers enter the sea, or during rainy seasons, the sea water becomes fresher. Due to the influence of the land, rivers carry sediment into the sea, making the nearshore seawater turbid and unclear, and the transparency of the seawater is poor. The sea does not have its own independent tides and currents. The sea can be divided into marginal sea, inland sea and Mediterranean Sea. The marginal sea is both the edge of the ocean and the frontier of the continent. This type of sea is widely connected with the ocean and is generally separated from the ocean by a group of islands. my country's East China Sea and South China Sea are the marginal seas of the Pacific Ocean. Inland seas are seas located inside continents, such as the Baltic Sea in Europe. The Mediterranean Sea is a sea between several continents, and the water depth is generally deeper than that of inland seas. There are nearly 50 major seas in the world. The Pacific Ocean has the most, followed by the Atlantic Ocean, and the Indian Ocean and the Arctic Ocean are about the same.

Rich marine biological resources

With the increase of population and the development of industry, the per capita cultivated land area is gradually shrinking. The whole world is concerned about how the earth can feed mankind. The focus should not only be limited to further developing agriculture and animal husbandry on land, but also actively develop and utilize the vast oceans. The ocean is rich in biological resources. Not only can we establish offshore farms and ranches for marine aquaculture, but there are also many uses that need to be developed. Offshore Farming and Ranching Offshore farming and ranching has attracted the attention of various countries since the 1980s. Japan was the first to propose the construction of offshore farms and ranches. Since 1980, it has implemented a nine-year "ocean take-off plan" to vigorously develop the marine aquaculture industry. By the end of the 1980s, its aquaculture output exceeded 2 million tons, ranking first in the world. The United States also invested more than US$1 billion in the 1980s to establish a 100,000-acre marine farm. Although the former Soviet Union mainly focused on offshore fisheries, it did not relax its marine aquaculture industry. It released sturgeon larvae in the Caspian Sea and the Azov Sea and caught them when they grew up. It also established oysters, scallops and other farms along the Far East coast. During this period, other countries also launched a craze to develop the mariculture industry. my country has also recently paid attention to the implementation of marine aquaculture and has become a major shrimp farming country in the world.

Since the 1980s, world marine aquaculture production has grown at an annual rate of 10%. By the end of the 1980s, the aquaculture production was estimated to have exceeded 8 million tons. However, looking at the entire marine fishery, the proportion of marine aquaculture in the world is still relatively small, less than 10%, so there is still huge potential to be developed.

Many high technologies are now being used to improve fish species. For example, genetic engineering technology is used to cultivate and improve fish, shrimp, shellfish, and algae seedlings and larvae to make them grow faster, have strong vitality, and have good meat quality.

In 1984, the United States used genetic recombination technology to increase the production of shellfish and abalone by 25%. Based on the discovered causes of growth hormones in several fish species, gene isolation and transfer experiments were conducted. In 1986, the rainbow trout growth hormone gene was successfully transferred into catfish, shortening the catfish breeding cycle by more than half. Isolating anti-freeze genes from Antarctic fish and transferring them to Atlantic salmon increased the cold resistance of the salmon and expanded its breeding area. Using cell engineering to conduct research on fish gender control, all-female salmon and shrimp, all-male tilapia, etc. are cultured, which is of great significance for large-scale artificial breeding. Research is currently underway to control genetic genes so that certain fish with migratory habits can respond to sound waves and light, so that they can be managed scientifically.

In addition to species improvement, high technology is also used in the construction of marine farms and ranches. The establishment of artificial reefs is one example. It is to build a comfortable home for fish to attract more fish to live and breed here. Artificial fish reefs are made by stacking rocks, cement blocks, used vehicles, used tires, etc. on the seabed in various ways to create an environment that marine life likes. Tiny marine life and seaweed will adhere to it, providing abundant food for fish. bait. In addition, artificial reefs protruding from the seabed will cause seawater to flow from the bottom to the upper layer, bringing the nutrient-rich seawater up from the seafloor to increase its fertility and attract fish.

According to estimates, without disturbing the balance, the ocean can provide humans with 3 billion tons of aquatic products every year. Based on the global population reaching 6.3 billion in 2000, each person can obtain an average of 476 kilograms per year. 39kg per month. Looking at protein production alone, the ocean can produce about 400 million tons of protein every year, which is about seven times the current human demand for protein. It can be seen from this that the ocean can play a big role in solving the problem of human food. Of course, achieving this goal cannot be achieved overnight in the short term.

The ocean is a cornucopia of mineral resources.

The ocean is a cornucopia of mineral resources. After the "International 10-year Ocean Exploration Phase" in the 1970s, mankind has further deepened its understanding of the types, distribution and reserves of marine mineral resources.

Oil and Gas Fields

With the modernization of human economy and life, the demand for oil is increasing day by day. In modern times, oil plays the first role in energy. However, some large oil fields on land, which are relatively easy to exploit, have been exhausted and some are on the verge of exhaustion. For this reason, in the past 20 to 30 years, many countries in the world are making great efforts to develop the offshore oil industry. Detection results show that the world's oil resource reserves are 1,000 billion tons, and the recoverable amount is about 300 billion tons, of which seabed reserves are 130 billion tons. China has a shallow continental shelf of nearly 2 million square kilometers. Through geological surveys of submarine oil fields, seven large basins have been discovered, including the Bohai Sea, the South Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, the Pearl River Estuary, the Beibu Gulf, the Yingge Sea and the Taiwan Shoal. Among them, the East China Sea is rich in seabed reserves, comparable to the North Sea oil fields in Europe. The Pinghu Oil and Gas Field in the East China Sea is the first medium-sized oil and gas field discovered in the East China Sea, located 420 kilometers southeast of Shanghai. It is a medium-sized oil and gas field mainly composed of natural gas, with a depth of 2,000 to 3,000 meters. According to relevant expert estimates, natural gas reserves are 26 billion cubic meters, condensate oil 4.74 million tons, and light crude oil 8.74 million tons.

Rare manganese nodules

Manganese nodules are a source of rare metal minerals on the seabed. It was first discovered in the Atlantic Ocean in 1973 by a British marine survey ship. But the world's formal organized investigation of manganese nodules began in 1958. Investigations show that manganese nodules are widely distributed at the bottom of the deep sea at 4,000 to 5,000 meters. They are the largest metal mineral resources available in the future. Interestingly, manganese nodules are a variety of raw minerals. It is growing at a rate of about 10 million tons every year and is an inexhaustible mineral. The total reserves of manganese nodules in the world's oceans are about 3 trillion tons, including 400 billion tons of manganese, 8.8 billion tons of copper, 16.4 billion tons of nickel, and 4.8 billion tons of cobalt, which are dozens or even several times the land reserves. Thousand times. Based on current consumption levels, these manganese can be used by the world for 33,000 years, nickel for 253,000 years, cobalt for 21,500 years, and copper for 980 years.

At present, with the in-depth exploration and investigation of manganese nodules and the relatively mature technology, it is expected that by the 21st century, it can enter the commercial development stage and officially form the deep-sea mining industry.

Undersea hydrothermal mineral deposits

In the mid-1960s, a U.S. oceanographic survey ship first discovered deep-sea hydrothermal deposits in the Red Sea. Later, some countries discovered more than 30 such mineral deposits in other oceans. Hydrothermal mineral deposits, also known as "heavy metal mud", are formed by high-temperature lava ejected from cracks in sea ridges (seamounts), washed, precipitated, and accumulated by sea water. They can move at a rate of several centimeters per week like plants. Growing rapidly. It contains dozens of rare and precious metals such as gold, copper, and zinc, and the grades of gold, zinc, and other metals are very high, so it is also known as the "Undersea Gold and Silver Treasury." Interestingly, heavy metals are colorful, including black, white, yellow, blue, red and other colors. Under current technical conditions, although seafloor hydrothermal mineral deposits cannot be exploited immediately, they are a potential treasure trove of seafloor resources. Once industrial mining can be carried out, it will become one of the four major seabed minerals in the 21st century, along with seabed oil, deep-sea manganese nodules and seabed sand deposits.