Specialized ships conduct surveys of the ocean bottom, plotting routes over and around underwater mountains.

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The observation takes account of new research that shows hammerhead and great white sharks patrol fixed routes in the ocean, gathering at hotspots to mate or feed.

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It enjoys immense natural resources and dominance of international trade routes to and from south central China and the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.

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The trend toward smaller jets is quietly occurring over the Atlantic, too, as new advances now allow airlines to fly over the ocean with two engines instead of three or four, which makes flying smaller aircraft on the routes more feasible.

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Set in the dense forests of the Kii Mountains overlooking the Pacific Ocean, three sacred sites - Yoshino and Omine, Kumano Sanzan, Koyasan - linked by pilgrimage routes to the ancient capital cities of Nara and Kyoto, reflect the fusion of Shinto, rooted in the ancient tradition of nature worship in Japan, and Buddhism, which was introduced from China and the Korean Peninsula.

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