India, Sept. 12 -- The oceans are "a space both real and imagined", says Surabhi Ranganathan.

We suffer from sea blindness, she adds. Despite the ocean covering seven-tenths of the planet, it remains an overlooked space in the global consciousness. It is often perceived as remote and lawless, yet it drives climate, trade and communication.

Once in a while, an event such as the six-day 2021 Suez Canal blockage by the container ship Ever Given disrupts global supply chains, and people notice the ocean's critical role.

But its role is ever-present and immediate, wherever in the world one may be, says Ranganathan, 42.

How we manage our relationships with it has implications for economic and climate justice. And we haven't been doing a ste...