The oceans of planet Earth
Approximately 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by saline water, a huge area of water of approximately 360 million square kilometers. This mass of water is a principal component of the hydrosphere.
We have named oceans, for example the Indian ocean, but all the oceans of planet earth are joined together.
The oceans contain plankton. These microscopic organisms are at the very bottom of the food chain. But all the life in the oceans depends upon plankton!
The Arctic Ocean is located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region.
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean. It covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface.
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceans covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceans.
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Great Southern Ocean, the Antarctic Ocean and the South Polar Ocean, comprises all of the ocean area below 60° S latitude.
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Life in the oceans
The sea is home to billions of plants and animals. Many live only near the sunlit surface. There are a number of species that live in the deepest depths where there is no natural light and the water pressure is immense.
The most abundant plants in the ocean are phytoplankton. These are single-celled, minute floating plants that drift throughout the surface waters of the ocean.
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