The Big Blue Ocean

The ocean makes all life on Earth possible.

• Covering 70% of Earth’s surface, the ocean contains about 97–98 percent of all the water on Earth.
• There’s only one world ocean, but it’s divided into five areas: the Pacific, Atlantic, Artic, Indian, and Southern Oceans

• 15% of oceans are covered by sea ice.
• The average depth of the ocean is 3,700m.

• The salt we taste when swimming in the ocean is sodium chloride.
• Oceans play a key role in climate and weather on Earth.

• Ocean water is always in motion due to the winds and forcers.
• Steady, powerful winds cause waves.

• It takes about 1000 years for water to complete the global ocean conveyor belt.
• There’s life in all five levels of Earth’s oceans.

• Sound travels 4.3 faster underwater making very hard to know direction of sound for divers.
• Light penetrates the ocean only about 200m.

• There are about 230,000 marine species that we know about.
• The blue whale is the largest ocean animal.