Introduction to marine science
What is Marine Science?
Marine science is the process of discovering facts, processes and unifying principles that explain the nature of the ocean, its associated life forms, and how the ocean interacts with bordering lands
Marine science is often referred to as oceanography and is broken down into 4 branches.
Marine science is often referred to as oceanography and is broken down into 4 branches.
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So....what exactly constitutes (makes up) an ocean?
According to the textbook, Oceanography, the ocean is "the vast body of saline water that occupies the depressions of Earth's surface." About 97% of all the Earth's water is found in the ocean while less than 3% is in land ice, lakes, rivers, and groundwater.
The ocean covers 139 million square miles, has an average depth of 12,451 feet (that's as tall as 8.5 empire state buildings!) and has an average temperature of 39F (3.9 C). It is approximately 4 billion years old.
Humans have divided the ocean into artificial parts called "oceans" and "seas" but it's actually just one big body of water. The 5 major "oceans" are the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Southern and Arctic Oceans.
According to the textbook, Oceanography, the ocean is "the vast body of saline water that occupies the depressions of Earth's surface." About 97% of all the Earth's water is found in the ocean while less than 3% is in land ice, lakes, rivers, and groundwater.
The ocean covers 139 million square miles, has an average depth of 12,451 feet (that's as tall as 8.5 empire state buildings!) and has an average temperature of 39F (3.9 C). It is approximately 4 billion years old.
Humans have divided the ocean into artificial parts called "oceans" and "seas" but it's actually just one big body of water. The 5 major "oceans" are the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Southern and Arctic Oceans.
Why is the ocean important?
The ocean offers many resources:
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