David Helvarg

We call it planet earth but it’s really planet ocean. Seventy one percent of the surface and 97 percent of the livable habitat of our amazing spherical space pool is saltwater. It’s the crucible of life and source of delight for so many of us. We all gain much from the ocean including transportation, recreation, trade, energy, protein, medicine and a sense of awe and wonder at being part of something so much larger than ourselves. We feel a natural connection to the sea. We all come from saltwater, both on an individual and evolutionary basis. Our bodies are 71 percent saltwater just like our planet. Our blood is salty as the sea. That may explain why I’ve always found it easier to sleep by the shore. The beat of the waves is like our mother’s heartbeat.