OCEANS
What it does for us, and what we can do for it.
oceans
Why are they important ?
Every life that has ever lived on earth has depended on our oceans, humans especially. We rely on the ocean to provide stability to our economies, many sources of food, and our supply of air. Oceans cover more than 70 percent of the surface of our planet. About 97 percent of the Earth's water can be found in our oceans. Of the tiny percentage that's not in the ocean, about two percent is frozen up in glaciers and ice caps. (from the National Ocean Service) According to discovery education there are over 1 million known species of plants and animals that live in our oceans. Some scientists say there may be as many as 9 million species we haven't discovered yet. Our lives as we know it depend on the world's oceans and the ecosystem that is holds. Most don't know that 70% of the oxygen in the atmosphere is produced by marine plants.
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Disclamer |
This site was created for a Contemporary World Issues course as part of a collaborative effort by Westerville North High School and Hartnell University. All opinions expressed herein are my own and do not reflect either institution.
That being said, ocean awareness, we've all heard of the stereotypical Eco-warrior (border line Eco-terrorist), the possibly pot smoking nudist, with an overwhelming voice and obnoxious poster boards; Shoving their agenda in the face of others. However as dismisive as their cause may seem. Oceans are vital to our lively hood and though it can be a wrathful force, it's ecosystem can be fragile. |
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