Exploring the World
Beneath the Sea
Local Researcher Offers Insight into the Ocean
B Y M I C H A E L C H AT F I E L D
'Just look at the world around you,
Right here on the ocean floor
Such wonderful things surround you,
What more is you lookin' for?'
—from "Under the Sea," by Alan Mencken and Howard Ashman
M
ONTEREY PENINSULA RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE
ARE FULLY AWARE OF JUST HOW BLESSEDLY BEAUTI-
FUL THIS REGION IS. EVEN THE MOST JADED WORLD TRAV-
ELER KNOWS THAT THERE ARE FEW PLACES ON THE PLANET
THAT OFFER THE COMBINATION OF CLIMATE, TOPOGRAPHY
AND BIOLOGY THAT TAKEN TOGETHER ADD UP TO THE
SIREN CALL THIS PART OF CALIFORNIA'S CENTRAL COAST
EMANATES. BUT JUST EXPLORING THE TERRA FIRMA HERE
TELLS ONLY HALF THE STORY—AND IN SOME OPINIONS,
LESS THAN HALF. THE MYSTERIOUS WORLD THAT LIES
BENEATH THE CHILLY PACIFIC IS A RIOT OF FANTASTIC
UNDERSEA ROCK FORMATIONS, KELP FORESTS AND A MIND-
BOGGLING DIVERSITY OF MARINE LIFE: A PERFECT MATCH
FOR THE REGION'S SUBLIME DRY-LAND VISTAS.
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