Total - Energies


	Less than 20% of the seabed has so far been explored, although the oceans account for more than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface. In other words, humankind has yet to discover most of the planet on which we live. Discoveries made by subsea exploration campaigns over the last thirty years have radically called into question our knowledge of the living world, and could not only drastically transform our way of life, but also have a lasting effect on our future. Consider this: completely unknown animals live on the seabed under phenomenal pressure, at temperatures of around 0°C in an environment saturated with heavy metals that are theoretically incompatible with life. The same seabed also contains significant quantities of gas hydrates that could well be a fantastic energy resource in the future. And substances extracted from animals and plants living at the bottom of the sea are already making it possible to develop new medicines, and may perhaps one day help to treat diseases which are still regarded as incurable.		The sea is going to play a major economic and scientific role in our future and will also provide us with food and energy. So in this issue, Energies invites you to join us in discovering the mystery and promise of the deep offshore, and to reflect on how best to ensure that this wealth is shared with future generations. It is clear that the resources in the Earth’s oceans, still largely unknown, will be vitally important to humankind, but we must be circumspect in exploiting those resources. We hope you find this issue of Energies stimulating. The Editorial Team