BARD PAPER: OPAL8588 | Home | Traveller | BARD | OPAL |
BARD PAPER: OPAL8588 | Home | Traveller | BARD | OPAL |
Erisis' oceans and continents are split apart by faulting into an uneven mosaic of block-shaped batholiths. Flat ground is nearly non-existent, and most land is little more than pillars of rock jutting out of the sea. While this prevents much land life, the plethora of sheltered coves and bays creates conditions for enormous sea diversity. The base of the local pyramid are grass like sea plants that often grown in dense rows or patches, within which sea life finds shelter and food. Some of these Sea Carpets have been adapted for agriculture and form the basis of the local economy. The "crops" are tended by specially equipped hovercraft, and are harvested by barges equipped with cutters and cranes. Most Sea Carpet is used as fertilizer, livestock feed, or as bulk and filler in food processing. Some variants are being tested with the assistance of commercial groups on Vincennes to test for use as genetically engineered "factory" crops that produce industrial chemicals naturally.