Murray Leinster 
The Silver Menace 

The Silver Menace written by Murray Leinster opens with a strange silver substance that begins to appear in the Atlantic Ocean, growing larger and larger. Ships are unable to navigate through it, and fish cannot swim in it. The substance begins to spread, and soon it covers the entire Atlantic Ocean. The world is thrown into chaos. Shipping is disrupted, and food prices skyrocket. People are afraid to go near the ocean, and many coastal cities are abandoned. A team of scientists is assembled to investigate the silver menace. They eventually discover that the substance is a living organism and that it is capable of absorbing and storing energy. The scientists also discover that the substance is attracted to electricity and that it can be destroyed by a powerful electrical discharge. The scientists develop a plan to destroy the silver menace. They build a giant Tesla coil, and they use it to generate a powerful electrical discharge. The discharge destroys the silver menace, and the Atlantic Ocean is once again safe for shipping. The Silver Menace is a classic science fiction novel by Murray Leinster.