50 fascinating facts about the ocean

50 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT THE OCEAN The world's oceans have always been a place of wonder and mystery. Covering nearly three quarters of our planet, it's impossible to know all their secrets – but here're a few of the most interesting that we do know. The surface 71% 70% OF OUR OCEANS ARE I COVERED BY SEA ICE of earth's surface is covered by ocean 90% OF AN ICEBERG IS SUBMERGED BELOW THE WATER'S SURFACE 4.3x FASTER The speed sound travels underwater water compared to air – this makes determining direction of sound near impossible for divers The world's oceans aren't flat. Gravity affected by underwater mountain mass combined with winds cause sea level differences around the globe 200m (656ft) light scarcely penetrates the ocean at this depth 1,000m (3,28oft) most of the ocean is completely dark at this depth 10m BELOW THIS DEPTH DIVERS CANNOT SEE RED OR YELLOW – BLOOD APPEARS DARK GREEN IN COLOR 3.8bn years ago Poiut Earth's temperature cooled allowing water to condense from gas into rain - filling the basins we know today Nemo at 2,688km (1,670mi) from land, it's the most remote point in the ocean Blue oceans – water absorbs the red light of the color spectrum, leaving the blue for us to see Nitrogen narcosis 3bn years An effect causing divers to feel “drunk" occurring at a depth of 30m (10oft) THE TIME LIFE ON EARTH WAS RESTRICTED TO THE OCEANS DURING EVOLUTION 1000 years A time taken for water to complete a continuous journey around the world – known as the global ocean conveyor belt Warm surface flow Cool subsurface flow THE GREAT BARRIER REEF CAN BE SEEN FROM THE MOON Scuba diving is safer than driving, skydiving and even marathon running Diring deeper 3,700m (12,100ft) 97% the average depth of the ocean of Earth's water is contained in its oceans 10m (33ft) 1.35bn km The total volume of the world's oceans OF OCEAN DEPTH HAS THE SAME MASS AS THE ATMOSPHERE 2.5m (8ft) of ocean depth 2.5cm (1 inch) holds as much heat as the atmosphere of the ocean depth has as much water as the atmosphere Dissolved gold can be found in the water of every ocean – Half of the oxygen we breathe is produced in the ocean but there's not too much of it 50х MORE CARBON IS HELD IN THE OCEAN THAN IN THE ATMOSPHERE Oceau living 28 major groups of animals live in the ocean, whereas only 11 live on land 230,000 The longest known mammal migration was achieved by a gray whale traveling 22,511km (14,000mi) over the course of 172 days marine species are known – with over 2 million estimated to exist 97% 14% of earth's habitat space is found in the water covering the globe Some species in the Antarctic have natural antifreeze in their blood to prevent freezing. Hákarl – one of the world's most acquired tastes – is a product of fermenting shark to allow the antifreeze toxins to rot away of protein consumption comes from fish FLOUNDER FISH CAN USE THEIR : CAMOUFLAGE TO HIDE ON A CHECKERBOARD; 33m (108ft) the largest recorded blue whale (that's the height of an 11-story building) Coral is actually a colony of tiny animals with porous limestone skeletons – suitable for repairing human bones 6,000m the depth at which some species of deep-sea coral live (in waters as cold as 2°C) 1% OF THE OCEAN FLOOR IS COVERED BY CORAL REEF 25% of all marine species call these reefs home Corals are greatly important They are slow growing – therefore it's crucial to never break or step on them to many marine species Deepest depths BАНАМAS 5% of the ocean floor has where the largest been mapped in detail underwater cliffs on Earth are found – with sheer drops of up to 4,000m (13,100ft) 65,000KM (40,300MI) The length of the world's longest mountain chain – the Mid Oceanic Ridge which joins up around the globe like a seam on a ball TWICE AROUND EARTH Length of all mid-ocean ridges of the world-if combined Many species that live at the bottom of the ocean +labyssal creatures can glow in the dark by triggering special chemical reactions 11 km (6.8mi) below sea level – the 10 km (6.8mi) Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean is the deepest depth currently known The world's tallest mountain Mount Everest found in the Pacific Ocean, 8.8 km (5.5mi) known as Mauna Kea 8,143m (26,715ft) 12 16 8 tonnes / in? 28 The pressure in the Mariana Trench (1000x the atmospheric pressure at sea level) the deepest living fish ever recorded – nicknamed the "ghost fish" -1 to 4°C temperature in the Mariana Trench Records 214m (702ft) THE DEEPEST FREEDIVING (NO LIMIT) ACHIEVED, COAST OF SPETSES, GREECE 2007 332.35m (1,090ft 4.5in) 11,000m (36089ft) the deepest SCUBA dive achieved, Red Sea, Egypt 2014 The deepest descent into the sea by manned vessel achieved in the Mariana Trench, in 1960 From the deepest depths to the mysteries held within - it's undeniable our oceans are a wonder to behold. For whatever we lose (like a you or a me), it's always ourselves we find in the sea. E. E. Cummings DIVE.in Online Scuba Diving Magazine Sources for this infographic are available at www.divein.com/articles/ocean-facts