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BACKGROUND
Indubitably,theworld,soceansareanenvironmentofgreat
importancewhereeconomic,political,andmilitaryactivities
occur.Throughouthistory,accesstotheseawasandhasbeen
amajorfactoracceleratingtrade,influencingthedevelopment
ofinlandterritoriesandabigsourceofincome.Forcenturies,
beforetheinventionofrailways,theonlypossibilityofcheap
transportationofgoodsonalargescalewasusingships.Seaworthy
shipsenabledalsoaccesstofar-awaymarkets,thepossibilityof
importinggoodsthatwerenotavailableoninternalmarketsand
openupopportunitiesforvariousdiscoveries.Theexpansionof
Europeanwesternpowerswouldnotbeablewithoutthemaritime
domain.Consequently,theabilitytocontroltheseasmarkedthe
mostsignificantattributeofkeypowersinthepastfewcenturies.
Technologicaladvancesinjustthelastcenturyhaveusurped
theverydefinitionofdangerforaseafaringspecies.Nowadaysthe
distancesarenotsogreat,thewaterspaceisnolongerindefinite
andthedepthsarenolongersoinaccessible.Nevertheless,the
oceanandseabedstill,inmanyaspects,areterraincognitaand
insomeareasevenlessexaminedthanthesurfaceofthemoon.
Theoceanalsoconstitutesanecosystemthatcontinuestosurprise
uswithitsuniqueproperties.Forthesereasons,thestudyofthe
oceanandtheresourcesbeneathitsseabediscrucialtohuman
advancement.
