Oceans cover more than 70% of the earth’s surface. It is where life began around 4 billion years ago. These mysteriously large water bodies are home to over 240,000 to 260,000 known and described marine species including both plants and animals. This is only 10% of the total marine life. Let’s dive deep into the fascinating world of these mysterious oceans and explore some interesting facts about them.

Five Oceans on Earth and the Deepest Point
The ocean’s Secret Layers
Why are Oceans Important
How to Save Our Oceans

Five Oceans on Earth and the Deepest Point

There are seven oceans on earth: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic oceans. All these oceans together hold about 97% of the total Earth’s water. Along with giving us air, water, and food, oceans also control the climate on earth which makes them incredibly precious for us.The Pacific ocean is the biggest among all oceans. It is so large that all of the continents could fit into the Pacific Ocean. The deepest part of the Pacific ocean is Mariana Trench which goes down nearly 10,984 meters (36,037 feet or about 6.8 miles) at its deepest point.

The Oceans’ Secret Layers

Oceans have many secret layers based on how deep and how much sunlight can penetrate into it. The four main layers of an ocean are the sunlight zone, twilight zone, midnight zone and abyssal zone. A majority of marine life lives in the sunlight zone which is around 0-200 meter deep. This level is home to most fishes like dolphins along with coral reefs, sea turtles, etc.

The Twilight zone is the second layer of ocean in which very little sunlight can penetrate. It ranges between 200-1,000 meters. Many glow in the dark species like anglerfish are found in this layer of the ocean. At the midnight zone the sea totally appears dark. Giant squids and other exceptionally adapted species are the only ones that survive in this zone of sea. It ranges between 1,000 - 4,000 meters. The ocean floor is close to the abyssal zone at 4,000 to 6,000 meters. This layer has extremely high pressure and is extremely cold.

Why are Oceans Important

Oceans are called the lungs of our planet by many researchers as they generate around 50% of our oxygen. The oxygen is crucial for our existence. There are microscopic single-celled plants in the ocean called microscopic phytoplankton or macrolarge that produce oxygen inside the water.. Along with giving us oxygen, food, and medicines, they control the earth's weather and provide food to over three billion people. They are the largest home for various species of animals, plants and the strangest creatures living in the deepest layers of the oceans.

How to Save our Oceans

The ocean is truly one of Earth's greatest treasures, and it is our responsibility to protect it by making small changes in our daily lives. Here are some ways we can help save our oceans:

Reduce the use of plastic. The plastic straws and bags we use usually end up in the ocean strangling marine life like dolphins and marine turtles.
Save water from pollution and do not litter. All the waste that we do not dispose properly can go to the oceans harming the life inside it.
Spread awareness about how we can help keep our oceans clean. Every kid can make a real difference.