By the early years of this century the first successful experiments in off-shore drilling for oil and natural gas took place off the coast of southern California. This marked an important step forward in understanding the importance of the ocean.
廿世紀初，鑽探海底油氣的嘗試，在美國加州外海第一次獲得成功，開發海洋資源頓時躋身熱門科技。