Nature of April | Page 9

The Ocean is a vast continuous body of saltwater that contains a vast basin of Earth's surface. The Ocean covers approximately 70.8percent of the surface of the Earth! Now water is essential; just because you see a large body of it does not mean it does not serve any purpose! The air we breathe mainly produces over half of the world's oxygen and absorbs 50 times more carbon dioxide than our atmosphere! Climate regulation covers 70 percent of the Earth's surface. The Ocean transports heat from the equator to the poles.

 1. It helps us breathe Phytoplankton, tiny plant-like organisms that live in the sea, responsible for at least 50% of the oxygen on Earth. Like land-based plants, they contain chlorophyll to capture sunlight and use photosynthesis to convert it into the energy they need, producing oxygen as a byproduct. They also consume carbon dioxide, transferring about ten gigatonnes of carbon into the ocean each year from the atmosphere. 2. It helps regulate the climate. The Ocean absorbs enormous amounts of heat from the sun. According to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, more than 90% of the warming that has happened on Earth over the past 50 years has occurred in the Ocean. That heat tends to be intense nearer the equator, with the water nearest the surface warming the most. Sea currents then transport that heat worldwide, north and south, towards the poles. As some seawater evaporates, it becomes denser and heavier due to its relatively higher salt content. That causes it to sink, taking some of the warm water more profound.

Some currents are directly responsible for specific climatic effects. One example is the Gulf Stream, which takes warmer water from the Gulf of Mexico across the Atlantic to Europe. If the Gulf Stream were disrupted, much of the western part of Europe, including the UK, Ireland, and France, could become colder. 3. It is an essential source of food. Fish is on the menu for billions of people worldwide every day. It accounts for almost 16% of all animal protein consumed globally. Of course, there is more to seafood than fish, crustacea, and other edible creatures. A range of algae and sea plants are also commonly used in cooking. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization lists sodium, calcium, magnesium, and iodine among some of the essential nutrients in seaweed. Iodine deficiency has been identified as the most prevalent and easily preventable cause of impaired cognitive development in children. Pressure on resources and the environment has led to calls for food production and people's diets to change. A cow, for example, produces 2.8kg of greenhouse gas per kilo of live body weight and needs 10kg of feed for every kilo it weighs. To get just one gram of protein from cattle, you need 112 liters of water. If properly managed and maintained, the oceans could form an essential part of a more sustainable approach to feeding the planet's growing human population. 4. Its biodiversity is incredible. It is not just a source of food. The Ocean is also home to an abundance of life. While estimates on the number of species that live in the sea exist, no one knows what that number is. According to the US National Library of Medicine's National Institutes of Health, 91% of species in the ocean still await description. That is due in no small part to the vastness of the oceans, which cover around 70% of the planet's surface and are up to 11,000 meters deep. Many yet-to-be-discovered creatures living in the sea could efficiently run into the millions. In conclusion, the Ocean is a fascinating place full of different functions and unique sea creatures that tend to live there!

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Ocean Importance