The ocean has always and will always shape human culture. Many humans are directly dependent on the ocean, hunting and gathering only to feed themselves and their families and communities. This practice is called subsistence fishing as opposed to commercial or sport fishing. The Haenyeo are a charming example.

Another impressive case is that of the Bajau tribe, who are considered a case of recent human physiological adaptation. But the truth is that over 50 million people are subsistence fishers. The ocean has also been instrumental to human migration. The most famous example is the relatively recent Polynesian expansion from Southeast Asia across the entire Pacific. But humans used the ocean to migrate long before. The oldest migration across the sea was that led by the Aboriginals who first populated Australia, and Native Americans likely also arrived by boat. Many of these ancient influences on humans have been co-opted to contemporary popular culture, such as surfing and recreational diving.

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