Since ancient times, marine biological resources have been an important source of human food. Over the past decades, human demand for aquatic products has increased significantly. In the 1970s, approximately 12.5 to 20% (calculated in fresh products) of the total animal protein used by humans (including fishmeal for animal feed) came from marine biological resources. The total production of marine aquatic products in the world increased from 18.8 million tons in 1938 to 64.58 million tons in 1980, an increase of 2.4 times. In 1978, the total value of global marine production was $28.3 billion.
85% of species on Earth live in the ocean. There are approximately 20,000 species of plants and 180,000 species of animals. There are 19,000 species of fish, more than 800 important fishing target species and a catchable volume of 200 to 300 milliontons. A survey report synthesizing global ocean data showed that there are 210,000 known species of marine life, but the true number is estimated to be more than 10 times that number. 90% of the world's animal proteins are found in the oceans. The annual production of algae in offshore waters is equivalent to more than 15 times the total annual production of wheat worldwide. If the ocean's invisible plankton were turned into food, it could meet the needs of 30 billion people. The ocean can provide 600 million tonnes of fish, shrimp and shellfish each year, but less than 100 million tonnes are caught, but this represents 22% of human consumption.
Marine biological resources also provide important pharmaceutical and industrial raw materials. Sea dragon, seahorse, cassia, pearl powder, longyanxiang, partridge, hijiki, kelp, etc. have been sincengtime valuable medicinal materials in China. Currently, marine biological medicines have advanced in the extraction of proteins, amino acids, vitamins, anesthetics, antibiotics, etc.
Making crafts from shells has become an industry in China, and some corals are popular works of art. Guano contains 20% phosphorus and is an excellent natural fertilizer. Whale oil is both edible and an important chemical raw material. Sperm Whale Head Oil is a high quality lubricant for precision instruments. Seaweed extracts, including algin and agar, are also widely used in industry.