Fish, crabs, sea turtles, coral, clams, seaweed, and whales all come from the ocean. The ocean is home over a million different types of animals and marine plants, and it is estimated that many million more are yet to be discovered. Many animals that live in the ocean rely on each other for food or protection. Each one of these animals has an important role in the overall well-being of the ocean ecosystem.
The ocean is also important to the rest of the planet. It helps regulate the temperature of the earth, it can store greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide, and even generate oxygen.
The marine biome is the biggest biome on the planet! The ocean can be divided up into smaller ecosystems where different groups of animals live. Some of these ecosystems include: the rocky intertidal zone, the kelp forest, deep sea ocean trenches, and the coral reef.
The coral reef is a living structure that provides food and shelter for thousands of different species of fish, invertebrates, and marine plants. Coral reels are special because they have specific requirements for growth and can only be found in certain places on earth, like the warm tropical waters around the Hawaiian Islands.
Humans depend on the ocean for food, transportation of goods that arrive on big ships, as well as recreation like swimming, snorkeling, fishing, and surfing.
