5 Amazing Facts you didn't know about our Oceans

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• 5 AMAZING FACTS YOU DIDNT KNOW ABOUT OUR OCEANS

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1. Why is the Ocean Blue?
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• 1. Why is the Ocean Blue?

Have you ever stopped to question why the ocean
is blue? After all, when you turn your tap on and
fill a glass with water, it doesnt appear blue,
does it? Nope! Its actually as clear as crystal.
So why would the ocean be blue? For a long time,
many people thought (and some still do) that the
ocean appears blue because of reflection from the
blue sky. The real reason why the ocean appears
blue is that of the way it absorbs
sunlight. When sunlight hits the surface of the
oceans water, the water molecules naturally
absorb the rays of light. However, not all rays
are absorbed. Water molecules mainly absorb light
rays with longer wavelengths, such as those in
the orange, red and yellow wavelengths. Shorter
wavelengths, like the blue wavelengths, are least
absorbed by water molecules. They tend to get
reflected back into our eyes. This is why we
usually see as if the ocean water is blue.
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2. 94 of all Life on Earth is Aquatic
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• 94 Percent of all Life on Earth is Aquatic

You probably already know that there are 5 oceans
and that over 75 of the earths surface is
covered by water. But did you know that 94 of
all life in the world is aquatic? According to
researchers, life began in the ocean about 3.5
million years ago. Today, the ocean is home to
most of the planets dominant forms of life. In
fact, over 94 of all life on Earth is aquatic.
These life forms include the worlds greatest
structure- the Great Barrier Reef and over five
thousand species of coral. With all of these
living forms down there, its high time we take a
keen interest in the oceans around us. And
because very little is known about the oceans and
the forms of life found in it, the possibilities
are far-reaching for terrific discoveries.
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3. 2/3 of All Marine Life Remain Unidentified
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• 2/3 of All Marine Life Remain Unidentified

Up to 2/3 of all plant and animal species in the
oceans are yet to be explored. This is according
to a recent study conducted by marine
scientists. Ten years ago, we thought there were
about 10 million species in the ocean now we
believe there are less than 1 million. If you
consider fish, for example, it is estimated that
there are 5000 species unexplained. And 150 new
species of fish are discovered every
year. Besides fish, the study suggests that there
are more than eight species of whale and dolphin
waiting to be explored, ten undiscovered marine
reptiles and thousands of unidentified
crustaceans, sponges, algae and other plant
species. So far, only 220,000 species have been
discovered, with another 60,000 species waiting
to be discovered. The rate of new discoveries is
increasing, and more and more people are involved
with describing new species. But despite an
increasing rate of species discovery, as much as
95 percent of all aquatic life remains unexplored.
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4. The worlds oceans contains nearly 20 million
tons of gold
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• The worlds oceans contains nearly 20 million
  tons of gold

It is quite a wonder that there are an estimated
20 million tons of gold in the oceans of the
world. This is enough gold for every person in
the world to own nearly nine pounds each. But
why dont we all head down the oceans with our
gold pans in search of this rare and precious
commodity? While it is indeed true that gold is
found in the oceans, the difficulty of extracting
it lies in its extremely minute
existence. Although 20 million tons of gold may
look like a massive amount, when you spread that
amount throughout the oceans, you get a quantity
of 0.004 parts per billion. Another way to think
about this is that you would have to process 30
million pounds of ocean water to extract a single
ounce of gold. We are talking such minuscule
quantities that its even impossible to wrap our
heads around it.
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5. 70 of the Oxygen We Breathe is Produced by
the Oceans
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• 70 of the Oxygen We Breathe is Produced by the
  Oceans

The ocean is the most potent force on the planet.
It feeds us and everything else around us. The
big question is how does it feed all of us?
Details surrounding the answer are what we all
hope to learn today. Well, for starters, 50-70
of the oxygen we breathe comes from the
ocean. Humans, fish, dolphins, seabirds, crabs
and just about every other living thing owes its
existence to phytoplankton. Phytoplankton is
single-celled plants that live on the oceans
surface. These one-celled plants are behind what
the scientists call marine biological
productivity- the ability of oceans to support
animals, plants and fish. They use energy from
the sun to convert nutrients and carbon dioxide
into organic compounds that form new plant
material. This process is called
photosynthesis. For photosynthesis to occur,
phytoplankton needs two things nutrients from
the water and energy from the sun. They absorb
both of these across their cell walls. In the
process, they release oxygen into the water.
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Still want to know more about oceans?Read our
article hereAmazing facts about oceans you
didnt know
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Thank you
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