Redefining the Perception of the Ocean
“But that same image, we ourselves see in all rivers and oceans. It is the image of the ungraspable phantom of life; and this is the key to it all.” --Moby Dick, Herman Melville
Abstract
“…whatever is sweet, and honorable, and sublime, there yet lurks an elusive something in the innermost idea of this hue, which strikes more pf panic to the soul than that redness which affrights in blood.”(994)
As Melville explained in his novel, the underlying perception of ocean was the feeling of fear and danger. As much as human race progressed in civilization and industrialization, one cannot overlook the vast and immersive quality of the Ocean. Despite globalization dominated trading on sea, Ocean remained in an old perception: it is a romantic, powerful, and fearful creature that is natural in form, terrific in personality, and engulfs human in stories. On the contrary, as we conquered the sea by cruising, or through global trading, we are actually the terrific force that inhibits the ocean.
We use the ocean as a means of travel and trade, we dig petroleum from deep ocean, we take ocean for granted, because of the vast and unreachable, unseen reality. We cause problems on the ocean, devastating the blue body, and yet we do not and cannot imagine the damage we brought to the ocean. Damages did happen, but they were quickly smeared over in the news. What we needed in the 21st century is a paradigm shift from the romantic notion of Ocean to the realistic ocean, with the hope that this would enlighten the next generation to practice stewardship across medium, discipline, and at different scales.
Literature Review:
1. Frame
Research question:
What are the perceptions of Ocean? How should we redefined Ocean with critical and nuanced understandings? What are the social and environmental impact of crusing? What were the major past catastrophic events which happened in the ocean and how they reinterpreted the perception of ocean? What are the current challenges happening in the ocean?
a. Methodology:
By drawing examples from visual culture, scholarly journals, and articles, this literature review aims to inspire conversations, draw new interpretations, ask questions related to the framework of the ocean.
b. Why should your reader care?
Perception shape behaviors, if readers can have a contemporary and cosmopolitan way of understanding of the ocean, one can begin to reshape individual and collective behaviors. Moreover, there is not enough awareness of the problematic ocean and its physical proximity to people. It is a key component that contributes to global climate change.
2. Roughly chronological overview of the literature
Outline:
-Perception
Melville, Herman, Moby Dick, 1851, selected passages.
Moby Dick is an allegory of perception. It pointed out the instinctive fear in human and the different manifested creatures they see due to their different individual fear and perception.
Muir, John, Travels in Alaska, selected passages.
Muir joined an expedition to Alaska in search of the exotic landscape: glaciers. His writing provided an individual perspective on travelling, and his excitement of seeing the glaciers.
Carson, Rachel Louise, Undersea, Atlantic Monthly, 78 (September 1937), pp. 55–67 ,1937.
This is an early work of Carson, and it framed her later writing. Carson presented a nuanced view of the ocean. She wrote about the material immortality within the ocean and the endurance of ocean ecology. One may argue that she provided a nuance perspective of the ocean and was exquisitely elaborating on time as a critical component of the ocean.
-Tourism
Delgado, Martin, Zuzanna Koltowske, Felix Madrazo, and Sofia Saavedra. “Destination Whatever: Touring the Cruise Industry of the Caribbean”, Harvard Design Magazine.
This article discussed cruise tourism as a new way of engaging with the ocean and how it generated new perceptions. Destination is not the most interesting in contemporary cruising; is it more common to glorify the huge ship and its lavish interior multi-functional rooms as well as the infrastructure that comes along. Then, the article discussed the economic and environmental problems arose from cruising.
-Reality and nuances (iceberg, currents, and earthquakes)
Iceberg, https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2005/nsf0539/nsf0539_3.pdf
NOAA’s Arctic Ocean Exploration Program- prepared by Kathleen Crane, of NOAA’s Arctic Research Office; Jeremy Potter, of NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration; and Russell Hopcroft, of the University of Alaska Fairbanks.,
Currents, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/currents/05currents1.html
Ring of Fire, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/ring-fire/
-Social and environmental impacts
Beatley, Timothy, “Blue Urbanism: The City and the Ocean,” in Places: Forum of Design for the Public Realm, 04.18.11.
Beatley argued the necessity to consider the ocean as an important continuum to the city, and that we should reassess our relationship with ocean by raising awareness and adjust our way of consumption and waste disposal.
Popovich, Nadja, henry fountain and adam pearce, “We Charted Arctic Sea Ice for Nearly Every Day Since 1979. You’ll See a Trend.” SEP. 22, 2017.
Iceburg melting can be a major impact to sea level rise and it will inturn affect coastal cities and small island.
Taylor, Alan, “The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: 25 Years Ago Today”, NYTimes.com, MAR 24, 2014.
Taylor provided a general overview on the recovery of the oil spill in 1989. It provided visuals of the sprawling damage it made to the surrounding coast and the animals.
-Looking at the near future
Erik Orsenna, Portrait of the Gulf Stream: In Praise of Currents, 2008, selected chapters.
Orsenna described the mechanism of regional currents and the unpredictable future of current movement.
Fackler, Martin, “After the Tsunami, Japan’s Sea Creatures Crossed an Ocean”, NYTimes.com. SEPT. 28, 2017.
Zimmer Carl, “Ocean Life Faces Mass Extinction, Broad Study Says”, MATTER, JAN. 15, 2015.
Moore, Charles J., “Choking the Oceans With Plasti”, NYTimes.com, AUG. 25, 2014.
Moore, Charles, Plastic Ocean, 2011.
With his own experience, Moore described his dismay of the plastics he saw at doldrums. He provided ways to reduce ocean pollution—through strict recycling of material and prevent plastic from entering the ocean. Lastly, he suggested to educate consumers and change the way of consumption.
3. Bibliography
Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick: Or, the Whale. New York: Penguin Books, 2001.
Muir, John, Travels in Alaska. ProjectGutenberg License, www.gutenberg.org, 2006.
Carson, Rachel Louise, “Undersea”, Atlantic Monthly, 78 (Sep,1937), pp. 55–67 ,1937.
Delgado, Martin, Zuzanna Koltowske, Felix Madrazo, and Sofia Saavedra. “Destination Whatever: Touring the Cruise Industry of the Caribbean”, Harvard Design Magazine, No.39, Fall, 2014.
Beatley, Timothy, “Blue Urbanism: The City and the Ocean”, Places: Forum of Design for the Public Realm, Apr,18.2011.
Popovich, Nadja, Henry Fountain and Adam Pearce, “We Charted Arctic Sea Ice for Nearly Every Day Since 1979. You’ll See a Trend.” NYTimes.com, Sep 22, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/22/climate/arctic-sea-ice-shrinking-trend-watch.html
Taylor, Alan, “The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: 25 Years Ago Today”, NYTimes.com, Mar 24, 2014. https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2014/03/the-exxon-valdez-oil-spill-25-years-ago-today/100703/
Erik Orsenna, Portrait of the Gulf Stream: In Praise of Currents, 2008.
Fackler, Martin, “After the Tsunami, Japan’s Sea Creatures Crossed an Ocean”, NYTimes.com. Sep 28, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/science/tsunami-japan-debris-ocean.html
Zimmer Carl, “Ocean Life Faces Mass Extinction, Broad Study Says”, MATTER, NYTimes.com. Jan 15, 2015. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/16/science/earth/study-raises-alarm-for-health-of-ocean-life.html
Moore, Charles J., “Choking the Oceans With Plastic”, NYTimes.com, Aug. 25, 2014. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/26/opinion/choking-the-oceans-with-plastic.html
Moore, Charles, Plastic Ocean—How a Sea Captain’s Chance Discovery Launched a Determined Quest to Save the Oceans. New York: Avery, 2011.