Final answer:
The true strengths of sea power lie in a nation's ability to use the sea to further its economic interests in the field of maritime strategy and naval power.
Step-by-step explanation:
The true strengths of sea power can be measured in terms of a nation's ability to use the sea to further its economic interests in the field of maritime strategy or naval power. As more industrialized nations engaged in empire building and international trade, having powerful navies to protect commercial trade became crucial. Naval theorist Alfred Mahan argued that sea power was essential to national greatness, which included a highly productive economy, a large fleet engaged in the carrying trade, and colonies that could provide strategic naval bases and raw materials.