the same isthmus). The Caribbean Sea had been unknown to the populations of Eurasia until 1492, when Christopher Columbus first sailed into Caribbean waters on a quest to find a sea route to Asia. Unfortunately, rapid population growth and urban sprawl has covered much of these ecosystems with development. Cape Town's local government is the City of Cape Town, which is a metropolitan municipality. The essay, published as Undersea, was a vivid narrative of a journey along the ocean floor. She also took advantage of her personal connections with many government scientists, who supplied her with confidential information. By mid-1962, Brooks and Carson had largely finished the editing, and were laying the groundwork for promoting the book by sending the manuscript out to select individuals for final suggestions.