世界近代任何一个大国的崛起,都必须依靠海洋。中国既是陆地大国,又是海洋大国,中国的社会和经济的发展将越来越多地依赖海洋。吴传钓院士是中国杰出的地理学家,他提出:"地理学研究的核心——人地关系地域系统"^[1]这一精辟的理论。同时他也是中国海洋地理学研究的实践者、倡导者和组织者。把人地关系的研究拓展到人海关系研究。提出了"地理学要面向海洋",多次提出:中国是个重要的海洋国家,地理工作不能限于"陆军",还要建立"陆军海战队",鼓励研究海洋。对吴传钓院士亲自参加海洋地理研究的实践、对年轻人的提携、把中国海洋地理学的研究推向国际等作了较详尽的介绍。

Any rising country in modern times all around the world must give its credit to the ocean. China, as a country with extensive territory of both land and sea, relies more and more on the sea for its soci-economic development. As a distinguished geographer, Academician Wu Chuanjun has made great contribution to the development of this academic subject of geography. He is the first one who developed the insightful theory of regional system of man-land relationship. As Mr.Wu holds, and we all acknowledge, that regional system of man-land relationship is the core of the studies of geography. Mr. Wu is also a practitioner, advocate and organizer of studies on marine geography. Studies on man-land relationship owes it to Mr. Wu, who argues that geography be targeted at the sea as well, to branch out to man-sea relationship. Mr.Wu brought it up more than once that China is such an important country boasting wide range of sea territory that geographical studies should never be limited to land territory. It is suggested that a "waterborne army" be set up to study the sea. This paper tells in detail stories of Academician Wu’s hands-on practice in studies of marine geography, of his guidance and support for young generation of geographers, and of his introducing China’s geographical studies to the international community.