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Oceans and seas

Oceans and seas

Observed from space, our planet’s surface appears to be dominated by the color blue. This blue color occurs because of the presence of the oceans and seas of the world. These features cover approximately 71% or 361 million square kilometers (139 million square miles) of Earth’s surface with a volume of about 1370 million cubic kilometers (329 million cubic miles). The average depth of these bodies of seawater is about 3.8 kilometers (2.4 miles). Maximum depths can exceed 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) in areas known as ocean trenches. The oceans contain 97% of our planet's available water. The ocean is also home to many forms of life uniquely adapted to survive in this habitat. Humans have degraded the oceans and their life through pollution, overfishing, carbon dioxide acidification and resource exploitation.

    • Sea of the Hebrides Featured Article Sea of the Hebrides Sea of the Hebrides

      The Sea of the Hebrides is an element of the North Atlantic Ocean, located off the western coast of Scotland, separating the Scottish mainland and the northern Inner Hebrides... More »

    • Ocean acidification troubles Featured Article Ocean acidification troubles Ocean acidification troubles

      The seas in which corals and other calcifying species dwell are turning acidic, their pH slowly dropping as Earth's oceans acidify in response to increased carbon dioxide... More »

    • Kattegat Featured Article Kattegat Kattegat

      The Kattegat is a shallow sea situated east of Denmark's Jutland peninsula and west of the southwestern landmass of Sweden. This low salinity water body is a connecting... More »

    • English Channel Featured Article English Channel English Channel

      The English Channel is that saline water body that connects the North Sea to the Celtic Sea. It is bounded on the north by England and on the south by France. This water body... More »

    • South China Sea Featured Article South China Sea South China Sea

        The South China Sea is a critical world trade route and a potential source of... More »

    • Seas of the world Featured Article Seas of the world Seas of the world

      A sea is commonly defined to be an extended body of saline water associated with one of the worlds five oceans (Atlantic, Indian, Pacific, Arctic, and Southern oceans). Some... More »

    • Indigo hamlet Featured Article Indigo hamlet Indigo hamlet

      The indigo hamlet (scientific name: Hypoplectrus indigo) is a member of the grouper/seabass family (Family Serranidae) that live on coral reefs in the Western Atlantic Ocean... More »

    • National Ocean Policy Action Plan Featured News National Ocean Policy Action Plan National Ocean Policy Action Plan

      National Ocean Policy Action Plan draft requests public comments on actions Federal agencies will take to improve the health of oceans, coasts, and the Great Lakes.... More »

    • Spinner dolphin Featured Article Spinner dolphin Spinner dolphin

      The Spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris), a marine mammal in the family of oceanic dolphins, engages in formation of small schools. This cetacean species evinces a dominance... More »

Recently Updated
Strait of Malacca Last Updated on 2013-05-19 at 18:27 The Strait of Malacca, located between Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, links the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and Persian Gulf. The length of the strait is about 800... More »
Baltic Sea Last Updated on 2013-05-15 at 22:50 The Baltic Sea is situated between Scandinavia and mainland Europe, and extends into the North Sea.  The sea is split into several smaller basins termed the Gulf of... More »
South China Sea Last Updated on 2013-05-14 at 17:00   The South China Sea is a critical world trade route and a potential source of... More »
White Sea Last Updated on 2013-05-14 at 14:25 The White Sea is a saline marine water body that is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located off the northwest coast of Russia.Waters of the White Sea are rich in silicates... More »
Norwegian Sea Last Updated on 2013-05-14 at 14:24 The Norwegian Sea is a saline marginal sea, and an element of the North Atlantic Ocean, situated west of Norway. This sea is characterised by its cold deep basins that are... More »
Laptev Sea Last Updated on 2013-05-14 at 14:23 The Laptev Sea is a saline water body, lodged between the Kara Sea and East Siberian Sea. The chief land boundary of this marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean is the Siberian... More »
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