An adjunct to "Ocean Planet", a major traveling exhibition opening at the Smithsonian Institution in 1995, this fascinating book is the first to explore the newest discoveries in oceanography and marine ecology in the context of the global economy and human population growth. For thousands of years humanity has seen the oceans as a mysterious, and limitless, source of treasures to be fished, harvested, mined, and salvaged. Now accelerating developments in ocean studies offer a new understanding of the oceans, their role in a global ecosystem, and their vulnerability to threats from human action. Drawing on the latest research, this book offers a fascinating tour of the complex reaches of our ocean world and points the way toward changes that will preserve, rather than squander, the wealth of oceans.