In addition to being our granary, what other resources can the ocean provide us with?

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. Its 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 attention from 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 coast of the Far East. During this period, other countries also launched a craze to develop the marine aquaculture 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, so that they can grow quickly, have strong vitality, and have good meat quality.

In 1984, the United States increased the production of shellfish and abalone by 25% through genetic recombination technology. 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, we can cultivate all-female salmon and shrimp, all-male tilapia, etc., 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.

It is estimated that, without disturbing the balance, the ocean can provide 3 billion tons of aquatic products to humans 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.

Ocean - the medicine storehouse of the 21st century

According to relevant medical experts’ predictions, humans will conquer cancer in the 21st century. So, what kind of panacea do humans rely on? In recent years, scientists have discovered after research that the ocean will become the medicine storehouse of the 21st century.

Sea cucumber is a valuable seafood containing high protein. However, you may not have thought that several species of sea cucumbers release a toxin from the anus that has tumor-inhibiting effects.

Oyster - this small shellfish is very delicious, but its greater value is because it contains an antibiotic. This antibiotic has anti-tumor effects.

Currently, some researchers in the pharmaceutical industry are conducting experiments to extract toxic compounds from seaweed and tiny marine organisms as an effective means of treating certain diseases. Preliminary experiments show that toxic substances extracted from certain sponge-like organisms can inhibit the development of cancer cells. A certain substance extracted from the enema fish can help treat diabetes. An American expert on marine issues vividly said: "Marine life is like a consultation center that can provide solutions to health problems."

In When considering harvesting medicine from the ocean, medical experts attach great importance to the development and utilization of corals. Experiments have shown that toxic substances extracted from coral reefs, like those extracted from certain sponge-like organisms, also have the effect of inhibiting the development of cancer cells; other substances extracted from coral reefs can alleviate arthritis and asthma. Inflammatory effect. There is a kind of coral produced in Hawaii. It contains highly toxic substances and can be used to make special medicines for the treatment of leukemia, high blood pressure and some cancers. An extract of a soft coral from the South China Sea has the effects of lowering blood pressure, anti-arrhythmia and antispasmodic effects.

Shark is an ancient marine fish, widely distributed around the world, with more than 250 species. Since the mid-1980s, many international scientists have conducted careful research on the pharmacology, chemistry, biochemistry and applications of various parts of the shark's body. In particular, the research on anti-tumor active substances in sharks has attracted more attention. According to relevant reports, American biologists have conducted decades of research on sharks and found that sharks hardly suffer from any disease, and rarely get cancer. They seem to have natural immunity to cancer. Some scientists have inoculated some pathogenic bacteria and cancer cells into sharks, but they cannot make them sick. It seems that sharks have some kind of special protective chemical in their bodies.

Relevant Chinese experts’ research on sharks is almost in sync with that of the international community. In 1985, experts from the Shanghai Fisheries Institute and the Shanghai Cancer Institute discovered for the first time that shark serum has a killing effect on human erythroid leukemia tumor cells in vitro. This scientific research result has opened up a vast world for mankind to search for anti-tumor drugs from marine biological resources.

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 sea 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 approximately 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, respectively. Dozens or even thousands of times the amount.

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 successively 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, like plants, Growing rapidly at a rate of several centimeters per week. 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 mined immediately, it is 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.

Ocean - the granary of the future

Some readers may wonder, if food cannot grow in the ocean, how can it become the granary of the future?

Yes, rice and wheat cannot be grown in the ocean, but the fish and shellfish in the ocean can provide humans with delicious and nutritious protein food.

As we all know, protein is the most important substance that constitutes living organisms, and it is the basis of life. Currently, only 5% to 10% of the protein consumed by humans is provided by the ocean. What is worrying is that since the 1970s, marine fisheries have been stagnant, and many species have been exhausted. To use a folk saying, now humans have eaten almost all the grandchildren of the yellow croaker. For the ocean to become a veritable granary, fish production will need to increase at least ten times compared to today. Experiments at a marine farm in the United States show that it is entirely possible to significantly increase fish production.

In nature, there are countless food chains. In the ocean, where there are seaweeds there are shellfish, and where there are shellfish there are small fish and even big fish... The total area of ??the ocean is more than double that of land, and most of the few fishing grounds in the world are located offshore. This is because algae growth requires sunlight and compounds such as silicon and phosphorus, and these conditions are only available in offshore areas close to land. Marine surveys show that silicon and phosphorus are very abundant in deep seawater below 1,000 meters, but they cannot float to the warm surface layer. Therefore, there are only a few small sea areas, where due to the action of natural forces, deep water automatically rises to the surface layer, causing these sea areas to grow densely with algae and dense fish, making them rare fishing grounds.

Oceanographers were inspired by these sea areas. They used the principle of upwelling currents to artificially pump deep seawater to the surface layer in sea areas with strong sunlight, and then cultivated seaweed there. Seaweed is used to raise shellfish, and the processed shellfish is used to raise lobsters. Surprisingly, this series of experiments was successful.

Relevant experts optimistically pointed out that the potential of ocean granaries is great. Currently, the annual yield per hectare of land crops with the highest yield is only 0.71 tons when converted into protein. In scientific experiments, the maximum output of seawater breeding in the same area can reach 27.8 tons, and the output with commercial competitiveness is also 16.7 tons.

Of course, there will be many difficulties in moving from scientific experiments to actual production. Chief among them is the considerable amount of electricity required to pump water from depths below 1,000 meters. Where does such a huge amount of electricity come from? Obviously, under today's conditions, these energy requirements cannot be met.

However, scientists have found a trick: they are preparing to use the temperature difference between the surface layer and the deep ocean in tropical and subtropical seas to generate electricity. This is the so-called seawater temperature difference power generation. That is to say, the designed marine breeding farm will be combined with the seawater temperature difference power station.

According to calculations by relevant scientists, due to the strong sunlight in tropical and subtropical sea areas, there are as many as 6,250 trillion cubic meters of warm water available for power generation in this sea area.

If people use 1% of warm water to generate electricity each time, pump the same amount of deep sea water for cooling, and use this electricity for breeding, 750 million tons of various types of seafood can be obtained every year. It is equivalent to four times the total amount of fish and meat consumed by humans in the mid-1970s.

Through these simple calculations, it is not difficult to see that it is completely feasible for the ocean to become the breadbasket of mankind in the future.