ABSTRACT
Before beginning a discussion of the origin and structure of the world’s oceans, one should first reflect on the reasons for our interest in these bodies of water, which together comprise approximately seventy percent of the earth’s surface area. Perhaps one of the more obvious reasons is the enormous wealth of natural resources hidden in the oceans’ depths, including vast reserves of food and energy sources. This abundance has of course led to an increased human presence in and along much of the world’s oceans, prompting considerable concern for the short and long term consequences of man’s activities in this fragile environment.
