prolog
Starting the voyage

Part 1: Scientists on the Waves

Folks, this is not the sea
Being in the same boat means
Sleeping on the waves
unexpected guests
Water drop
The Sea of ​​Legends
Relaxing on deck
How to avoid a typhoon
Unforgettable ports
People who move the boat
An emergency patient was found in the vast ocean.
Dinner on board

Part 2: Laboratory on the Sea

Maybe it's fate
Detective or profiler of the sea
Life is a wave
Observer of Mother Nature
A race against time with the sea
Antarctica
The sea you can't go to
The seasons of the sea are changing
We're just scratching the tip of the iceberg.
Fishmonger Moon Sun-deuk
The Final Frontier

Epilogue
On land

Scientists head to the sea, not the lab
The work and life of a scientist at sea, introduced for the first time

Professor Nam Seong-hyeon, who has conducted marine research at the Agency for Defense Development and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the world's leading marine science research institute, is a veteran marine scientist who has conducted approximately 75 onboard surveys and traveled to the Pacific, Indian, Atlantic, and even Antarctica.
The author goes on a boat three to four times a year, and each time he goes on a survey, he lives at sea for a short period of one week or a long period of two months.

Even among observational oceanographers, it is rare to find a marine scientist who conducts onboard surveys.
Rather than using satellites or modeling, the author installs observation equipment directly in the ocean, collects field data, and analyzes it to discover scientific principles of the ocean.
This book unfolds a fascinating story about the work and life of marine scientists, a previously unknown phenomenon that takes place far out in the open sea, away from easily accessible tidal flats or coastlines.

The author introduces various marine science research methods and shows what the work of a marine scientist is.
After 20 years of research on typhoons, I discovered the changes in the marine environment created by typhoons and the sea, and I felt a sense of being an observer of Mother Nature. I also felt a sense of surprise and joy when I discovered the legendary 'milky' sea, previously only known through records, through the distribution of bioluminescent bacteria.
This book introduces the scientist who is sometimes a doctor examining the sea, an explorer seeking treasure, a detective uncovering secrets, and a profiler.

However, while studying internal waves in Indonesian waters, we happened to discover a 'milky' sea in the satellite image signals we were observing, a completely unintended result of ocean-atmosphere-biological interactions.
Data recorded by satellite sensors capable of precisely measuring signals reflected from moonlight showed that areas with particularly prominent moonlight reflection characteristics were distributed over time in very limited areas of waters off Indonesia and Somalia.
Having confirmed through comparative analysis with other satellite signals and field observation data that there was no plankton bloom in the area, we were surprised to learn that this was due to bacterial bloom.
This is because the milky blue sea that was passed down as a legend was actually confirmed.
- From "The Sea in Legend"

75 shipboard surveys on various ships, including fishing boats, cruise ships, and icebreakers.
An exploration journal written on the vast ocean without even a single ant

Everyone has probably been on a ship at least once in their life, but the experience of spending months on the vast ocean is not something that everyone can experience.
Although the author is a scientist, he confesses that his numerous experiences on board ships have given him a vague understanding of the feelings of sailors.
This book contains the author's experiences on the vast ocean.

The author has experienced a variety of vessels, from small octopus fishing boats in fishing villages to the Chamsuri-class high-speed patrol boat, the 209-class submarine, the defense science research vessels Seonjin-ho and Cheonghae-ho, and the icebreaker research vessel Araon-ho.
He gained global marine research experience by boarding not only domestic vessels but also ships from many countries around the world, including the Russian R/V Pavel Gordienko, the American R/V Melville, and the German R/V Meteor.

The book is also full of funny and romantic stories that happened on board.
It contains special daily life that you can only understand if you spend a long time on a ship at sea, such as packing before boarding, how to sleep safely on a rocking ship, a barbecue party held to avoid a typhoon, and the marine life encountered on board.
The experience of receiving help from fishing village residents when designing experiments, assisting fishing activities with research data, and the welcoming atmosphere of the port as a ship returns to its home port after six years—all of these connect the lives of scientists with the everyday lives of ordinary people, adding to the importance and meaning of scientific research.


In particular, the fact that the people on board the ship literally help and care for each other's research and work as a 'community of shared destiny on the same boat' shows the mindset we should have in the larger community called Earth.

Even after the last sensor, which was located at a depth of 500 meters, was recovered by pulling it up to the deck of the research vessel, the rope attached to the buoy was continued to be wound and pulled up.
The idea was to raise it until the cut part of the rope came out.
But suddenly the captain shouted in a startled voice.

“It’s a shark!”

A shark was wrapped around the end of the severed rope.
The rope got caught in the three rows of teeth, and the teeth could not be removed, so it was dragged from a depth of 1,000 meters to the sea surface.
As everyone rushed towards the stern to see the shark, the captain took control of them.
The shark kept moving its mouth and blinking its eyes.
- From "Unexpected Guests"

Life is all like waves
How to think like a marine scientist, something you can't imagine on land.

Sometimes, waves crash so high that it is difficult to keep one's balance, and after a typhoon passes, the author looks at the sea, wrinkle-free as if it had been ironed, and naturally reflects on his life.

The question the author heard most frequently from people around him while conducting boarding investigations was, "What should I do if a typhoon comes?"
The author calmly replies, "If a typhoon comes, just avoid it."
Because unlike on land where there are already established paths, you can move anywhere at sea.
Through the author's experience, we can learn a flexible attitude toward life that allows us to deal with bad situations without getting stuck in them.

As a marine physicist, the author compares life to waves.
Waves rise most strongly at the boundary between sky and sea, between different seawaters, and only subside when the two substances fuse and become one.
The author says that this does not necessarily happen only between matter and matter.
I always remember that people can have different personalities and wavelengths, and I try not to forget this when forming relationships with others.

The world we live in is no different.
When people say that each person has their own unique wave length, if you meet someone whose wave length matches well with yours, you can communicate well and get along well, but if your wave length doesn't match well, the gap deepens and your relationship becomes like rough waves.
Every time I meet someone who I either get along with or don't, I draw a picture of my wavelength and the other person's.
I'm also thinking about the slightly unscientific idea that it might actually be true that people don't have matching frequencies.
- From "Life is a Wave"

The author, who draws his entire life as waves, like drawing a graph of the movement of the ocean, also counts the waves he has.
I ponder the cycles and wavelengths of my life's waves, whether as a marine scientist, a friend, a husband, or a father, and whether I fall into the upswing or downswing.
The perspective that observes life as if observing the movement of the sea suggests another perspective and attitude toward life.

The Earth's climate regulator, the treasure trove of ecosystems, our territory that must be protected.
The precious values ​​held by the sea

The author, who went on a survey of the same sea area in 2022 and 2024, experienced the abnormal weather firsthand on board the ship.
It rained unusually much more in 2024 than in 2022.
The author mentions the importance of the oceans as a climate regulator on Earth.
The exchange of fresh water, heat, and gases between the ocean and the atmosphere all have a tremendous impact on climate.
The work of a marine scientist also includes diagnosing whether the ocean is functioning properly.
Ocean research must be more active than ever before, as uncovering the scientific workings of the ocean could provide crucial clues to solving the climate crisis.

What the author emphasizes as much as the importance of marine science research is our country's maritime sovereignty.
Our country's maritime territory covers approximately 438,000 square kilometers, more than four times the land area.
In an era where marine resources are a key competitive advantage, it is crucial to take an interest in our maritime territory for active marine research.

The author emphasizes the importance of interest in maritime research and maritime sovereignty, citing the example of Moon Sun-deuk, a fishmonger from the Joseon Dynasty.
The story of Moon Sun-deok, who encountered storms at sea and returned to Hanyang after three years via the Ryukyu Kingdom, Luzon in the Philippines, Macau, and China, clearly shows how sea breezes and ocean currents influence culture, politics, and the economy.
In particular, given that the political, economic, and military policies of the U.S., China, and Russia, including the recent controversy surrounding Greenland, are being planned around the Northern Sea Route, we should pay attention not only to the seas surrounding our country on three sides, but to all the oceans of the Earth.