For centuries the seminomadic Moken people have lived as hunter-gatherers, dwelling on boats or stilted dwellings along the coasts of Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand.
They harvest the sea's bounty by traditional methods. Without masks or scuba gear, they are able to gather tiny shellfish and other food on the ocean floor at depths as low as 75 feet (23 meters).
It's a difficult way to survive, but scientists have learned that these sea gypsies have an important edge. Studies of Moken children have shown them to have incredible underwater vision--twice as good as that of European children of the same age.
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