The human race has never strayed far from life giving water. For millions of years, we have relied on the seas to provide our food, ease our travel, and subdue the punishing rays of the sun on a hot summer day. From Africa, to Asia, to the Chesapeake Bay, maritime people share many cultural traditions that have evolved from life on the coast.
We have reached a watershed moment in many coastal cultures around the world. The coastal environment from which millions of people draw their livelihood has become significantly less productive or severely degraded. In addition, modern fishing technology has taken much of the human element out of harvesting the sea. As our coastal communities evolve from fishing villages to vacation destinations, or succumb to erosion and sea level rise, a great wealth of humanity's cultural heritage will soon be lost.
We have reached a watershed moment in many coastal cultures around the world. The coastal environment from which millions of people draw their livelihood has become significantly less productive or severely degraded. In addition, modern fishing technology has taken much of the human element out of harvesting the sea. As our coastal communities evolve from fishing villages to vacation destinations, or succumb to erosion and sea level rise, a great wealth of humanity's cultural heritage will soon be lost.
