Oceans research: News from the "Big Blue"

All life comes out of the ocean and is connected with the ocean. Over 70 per cent of the Earth's surface is covered by oceans earning planet earth the nick name the blue planet. Life within the sea evolved 3 billion years prior to life on land, yet much of the its ecology and life therein remains unexplored and hitherto poorly understood. Oceans also have a significant effect on the biosphere. Oceanic evaporation is the source of most rainfall, and ocean temperatures determine climate and wind patterns on land. In economic terms the seas are essential to transportation, energy production and provide a significant percentage of the world's protein. Yet, they are not limitless and many problems, such as overexploitation and pollution, have brought some marine ecosystems close to collapse.