Conclusion: The Horror That Came to Sarnath

Starting from a horror story by H.P. Lovecraft, we discuss the basic problems involved in the relationship of humankind and the sea. It turns out that our current prosperity has been created by the ruthless overexploitation of the sea, an action whose consequences we still have to face. This situation is analogous to how the inhabitants of the fictional city of Sarnath had to face the consequences of having exterminated its the previous dwellers. So, we need a different way to see the ecosystem, not as a resource but as part of our own life, in order to avoid the phenomenon of overexploitation and destroy not only the marine ecosystem, but humankind as well.