The ocean contains more life than any other place on Earth. | Learn Secret of the Ocean in Ten Minutes

The ocean contains more life than any other place on Earth

 It's estimated that there are currently around 10 trillion organisms in the ocean, and each day new species are being discovered. Many of these creatures have yet to be documented, so the number could go much higher. Here are a few of the most intriguing places you can find life in the ocean:

The deep sea

 The deep sea is home to some of the most mysterious and dangerous environments on Earth. This is where you'll find creatures like vampires and giant squid. It's also an important place for research into climate change and oil spill clean-up.

The coral reefs

 Coral reefs are one of the most important habitats on Earth, because they provide shelter and food to millions of animals. They're also slowly disappearing due to pollution, overfishing, and acid rain. However, there are campaigns working to improve their condition.

The Great Barrier Reef

 The Great Barrier Reef is perhaps the most famous reef in the world, because it's visible from space! It's also one of the largest and oldest reefs in the world, with an estimated worth of $22 billion-$45 billion annually. The reef is under huge threat from rising sea levels and warming waters, but there are campaigns working to protect it

Interesting facts about the world's oceans:

It is difficult to find a mate in the depths of the ocean, so the male anglerfish, meeting a female, becomes a parasite. He attaches to her, feeds his beloved's circulatory system, and performs the function of fertilization as needed.

 

Some crabs plant an anemone in their shell, which is like an exotic flower. They dress themselves for the purpose of protection and disguise. The traveler can stab anyone nearby with its tentacles.

In the viviparous tiger shark, the largest embryo feeds on the embryos of fellow sharks while in utero. As a result, one or two cubs are born.

If you rub a sea sponge through a sieve, the remaining cells will regroup into a new organism, maybe even two. Amazing vitality!

Sea cucumber does not seem dangerous and there are many people who like to eat it. Escaping from predators, the holothurian throws its insides at the enemy through the anus. This confuses the pursuer, and the holothurian regrows the lost limbs.

The flying fish family unites representatives who can jump out of the water and fly on its surface. They do this to chase insects or run away from enemies. The best flyers spend up to a minute in the air and travel up to 400 meters.

Animals that can withstand high temperatures are found in hot springs at great depths. Generally, at temperatures of 50°C or higher, bacteria survive. Such an environment is dangerous for biodiversity. Only certain types of worms have been able to adapt to such extreme conditions to feed on the bacteria that live in hot springs.

 

Distribution of organisms in the sea:

With depth, living conditions in the sea change greatly. In its upper layers, somewhere up to 100 m, there is enough light and a lot of dissolved oxygen in the water. It is the most favorable layer for marine life. Plankton and plants live here.

No light below 1 km. It's very dark here. Only bacteria and animals can live here. The number of organisms living here is much less than the layers above. Deep-sea organisms have special adaptations for life in such conditions. They have luminous organs, for example, allowing them to attract prey. Additionally, there is greater pressure at depth caused by the water column. It is clear that pressure increases with depth. In deep-sea animals, the strong external pressure is balanced by the internal pressure of the body fluid. Organisms do not adapt to high pressure, sink to the depths and die.

 

In fish living in the upper water column, the body is compressed from the sides. But in deep-sea fishes, especially deep-dwelling fishes, the body is compressed from top to bottom.

 

Life in the sea changes not only with depth, but also with latitude, i.e. with climate. There are few living things in the region of the Earth's poles because the water there is very cold. Plankton appears here only in summer. As it is food for fish and animals, they swim here only when the ice melts.

 

In temperate latitudes, not only are temperatures high, but a lot of oxygen is dissolved in the water. So, there are many creatures here.

In tropical zones, the temperature is more favorable for life, but high salinity and a small amount of oxygen in the water do not allow plankton to multiply strongly. As a result, there are not many fish here. However, tropical waters are home to a wide variety of species.

 

There are many coral reefs in the equatorial zone. Many species live near the mouths of large rivers because nutrients are brought in from rivers.

 

Regardless of latitude and climate, shallow waters, seas, and ocean shelves have a pattern of having more life than the far reaches of the ocean.

 

Life at Sea:

In the sea, life is very diverse, it appeared 4 billion years ago. Water hides many secrets. It has an indescribable number of plants (10 thousand species) and animals (150 thousand species). Scientists have not yet studied all the inhabitants of the depths of the ocean. Water covers 70 percent of the Earth's surface. In it, plants release oxygen, which rises to the surface. Animals started coming to land. Hence, the ocean is considered the cradle of life on earth. Organisms live in all layers of ocean water.

There are three groups of sea dwellers:

• Organisms that live on the surface and in the sea.
• Organisms that live in the water column.
• Creatures that live on the sea floor.

At a depth of 200 meters, the water is densely populated with organisms. The sun's rays penetrate this water column, and the plants grow beautifully, and grow in large mounds in the shallows. Accordingly they attract other creatures and fishes. Here you can meet plankton - these are small creatures that cannot resist the current, and they carry it for long distances. They are the main food for other people of the sea.

 

There are two types of plankton:

• Phytoplankton are plants that live on the surface of water illuminated by the sun.
• Zooplankton are single-celled animals (microscopic), small crustaceans. They live in the entire thickness of sea water.
• Also in the sea live fish, squid, cetaceans, penguins, pinnipeds, snakes, turtles.

 

Deep in the water of the sea it is so dark that the sun's rays do not penetrate there. Plants are not growing and the water is too cold. But predatory and scavenging animals live in it. They have large toothed jaws, and some species glow. Also, many bacteria live in the water, due to which food residues that fall from the surface decompose.

 

Benthos are organisms that live on the bottom of the sea. These include brown and red algae, molluscs, crustaceans, and jellyfish. Crabs, scallops, prawns, crabs and oysters are widely sought after by man in fisheries. Benthos is food for walruses, fish, and sea otters.

 

Life in the ocean is full of mysteries for humanity:

The depths of the world's oceans are full of secrets and mysteries; Organisms can be found even at depths of 11,000 meters. Ocean dwellers can exist at different temperatures and withstand high pressures.

 

In the process of evolution, the appearance of green algae increased the production of oxygen, which allowed the development of new types of plants and animals. The flora of the sea is very diverse and at various depths you can find phytoplankton, including unicellular and diatom algae, kelp, tree-like and dicotyledonous plants, sea grass, algae and sea flowering plants. Their patterns and color palette are simply amazing.

 

The sea has become home to many animals. There you can meet single-celled creatures and the largest animal in flight - the blue whale (the body length of the blue whale is more than 30 meters and weighs about 200 tons).

 

Like land, life in the ocean is divided into natural zones characterized by different habitat conditions. There are three main zones – littoral, bathyal and abyssal.

 

Coastal area is shallow water. The zone is densely populated with marine life, rich in marine vegetation. The constant restlessness of the water, temperature fluctuations, fluctuations forced marine life to adapt to such a transient habitat - shrimp and starfish burrow into the ground, crabs are able to grab something with the help of claws, and mollusks have learned to grow firmly to the rocks.

 

The Bathyal zone is located at a depth of 200 to 2000 meters and is characterized by an abundance of fish, although the vegetation, as the sun's rays do not reach the zone, is very poor.

 

After the 2000 meter mark, the valley zone begins. It is here, in the dark at extremely low temperatures, that the most unusual fish live, some of which have the ability to glow in the dark.

 

All marine life is divided into three main groups - plankton, nekton and benthos. Plankton are algae and all small organisms that live near the surface. Nekton includes all active animals such as fish, whales, sharks, and turtles. Benthos All marine organisms whose habitat is attached directly to the bottom - bottom fish, crustaceans, molluscs, etc.