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The ocean, covering about 71% of the Earth's surface, is characterized by its immense depth and vastness. It originated through a combination of volcanic activity, tectonic plate movement, and the accumulation of water from various sources. The ocean's origins are intertwined with the geological processes that have shaped our planet over millions of years.

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Marine biodiversity refers to the incredible variety of species and ecosystems found in the ocean. From tiny plankton to magnificent whales, the ocean is home to a vast array of unique and intricate organisms. Coral reefs, seagrass beds, and kelp forests are just some examples of the diverse habitats that support countless marine species.

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The depths of the ocean hold a captivating mystery, as they harbor countless undiscovered marine species. Despite the vast scientific advancements, we have only scratched the surface when it comes to understanding the incredible biodiversity residing beneath the waves. Each new discovery has the potential to unlock valuable insights into the intricate web of life in the ocean, offering a glimpse into the wonders that still await us in the depths of the world's oceans.

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The ocean has always captivated human imagination with its unknown depths. One of the most intriguing aspects of the ocean lies in its mysteries. Countless secrets and enigmas are hidden beneath the surface, waiting to be unraveled. From the legendary lost city of Atlantis to the unexplained disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle, the ocean continues to hold our fascination and curiosity.

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Thalassophobia, also known as the fear of the ocean or deep water, is a psychological condition that affects individuals who experience extreme anxiety or panic in relation to large bodies of water. The fear may stem from a fear of drowning, creatures lurking beneath the surface, or the feeling of being isolated in the vastness of the ocean.

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Researchers identified over five thousand previously undiscovered species in a sample area of the CCZ region of the ocean, and they predict more are there to be found.
By Amelia Hersant

There is a well-known saying that we know more about the surface of Mars than we do the bottom of Earth's oceans. New research is helping us to understand just how much we don't know about this intriguing habitat.

Our's is a predominantly water planet, with 71 percent of the Earth's surface covered in water. Of this, 96.5 percent is held in the oceans. Such a statistic is more digestible, but no less mind boggling, when you consider that one region of the ocean, known as the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), is considered to be around 6 million km ² (about 2.3 million mi ²) in area. This is roughly twice the size of India, and it reaches depths of between 4,000 and 6,000 meters (about 12,000 to 18,000 feet). Located between Hawaii and Mexico, the CCZ plays an important role in researchers' understanding of the ocean, which is the Earth's largest ecosystem.

Muriel Rabone, Data and Sample Coordinator at the Natural History Museum in London, and a team of researchers compiled existing data about animal biodiversity in the CCZ. They reviewed over 100,000 records of creatures in this area to identify a total of 5,578 animal species. Of these, 436 are named species. This leaves a startling 5,142 species that are new to science and hence currently unnamed. Even more staggering is that statistical models predict total biodiversity in the CCZ to be between 6,233 and 7,620 species. This suggests upwards of 655 completely new species waiting to be discovered.

Researchers used this data to create the CCZ Checklist, the first comprehensive inventory of species in this area. It details the known species and provides a framework to help scientists in identifying new species. Such a checklist is vital in an area as at risk as the CCZ, which is a resource-rich area that is already being widely exploited by potentially destructive deep-sea mining operations.

What undiscovered species did they find?

Not only does this research produce some fascinating overall numbers but it goes a step further to illustrate the types of animals that these previously undiscovered species are. It shows that most of the species new to science will be found under the phylum (the third highest classification category) of Annelida. Species under the phylum Annelida are worms with repeating segments throughout their bodies. These include earthworms and leeches.

The next two most common phyla of the unnamed, no-longer undiscovered, species are Arthropoda and Nematoda. Arthropoda are invertebrate animals with hard exoskeletons. Known examples of arthropods in water include lobsters, crabs, and barnacles. Species under the phylum Nematoda are roundworms, many of which are parasitic such as hookworms and pork worms.

Other, more obscure, unnamed species to be found in the CCZ include those under the phyla Tardigrada (these micro-animals are invertebrates nicknamed "water bears") and Ctenophora (also known as "comb jellies," these invertebrates have been found to range between 3mm and 1m, or about 1/8 inch to 3 feet).

These are just some examples of the 27 different phyla believed to be living in the CCZ. Each unique species under these phyla will have its own physiology, genealogy, and characteristics that allow it to interact with and add to the spectacular ecosystem that it inhabits.

Why were they undiscovered species?

Deep-sea environments are notoriously difficult to access. This has resulted in a significant lack of data with most focusing on central and eastern regions of the CCZ at depths that appear to correlate with the mining contracts, likely because these areas are more accessible. Such uneven distribution of data means that there are areas of the CCZ that have been mostly unexplored.

In addition to the issues of actually being able to see the animals, there are problems with classifying them too. Classification has advanced to include two key components: morphological (relating to anatomy) and molecular (relating to genome sequencing). The ideal standard would be to differentiate an unnamed, previously undiscovered species from existing species on both levels, but collecting a new species in order to analyze its DNA is very difficult. As such, some previously undiscovered species may only be differentiated based on morphology alone. This leads to problems with what are known as cryptic species⁠-those that have similar or identical morphology, or anatomy, but different molecular genealogy. So some species new to science may hide in plain sight behind already known species.

Ultimately, these are wild animals who come and go as they wish and who are not so inclined to float still while researchers photograph or collect them. They are phenomena worthy of patience to discover and, hopefully, maybe one day understand.

What risks do undiscovered species face?

When, and even if, such understanding will come of the newly identified and yet to be discovered species is another question entirely. Deep-sea mining in the CCZ for the purpose of exploiting minerals began in the 1960s. The area contains a rich supply of resources such as cobalt and nickel that are used for a range of technology across a variety of industries.

As demand for these resources has increased, so too have the efforts to obtain them. The mining area of the CCZ is the largest such area in the sea, spanning 1.2 million km ² (about half a million mi ²).

The scale of the damage and disruption caused by mining activities is not currently known, nor has it been extensively researched. It is difficult to identify the damage that such operations may be doing to species that we do not even know exist yet. However, the acts of mining involve removing resource-rich nodules from the sea floor, which could result in destruction of marine life and damage to the habitat of the seabed that such life relies upon.

What next for the CCZ and deep-sea exploration?

The CCZ checklist provides a base upon which further classification of unnamed and as-yet undiscovered species can be built. Despite the current mining activity, the CCZ is one of few areas in the world's oceans where the wilderness remains relatively intact. This makes it a fairly unique ecosystem in the modern climate and offers significant exploration opportunities.

With the ever-increasing development of new technologies, such opportunities will become more accessible to researchers both physically and conceptually. Ocean scientist Roberto Danovaro has suggested that researchers are entering into a "golden age" of deep-sea research.

For the CCZ, researchers have 5,142 new species to study, classify, and name; and over 655 species yet to discover. This is a daunting but exciting task, and one that researchers will likely be working on for generations to come.

This provides researchers with plenty of chances to identify and protect species new to science and, ultimately, to understand more about the incredible world around us.

This study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Current Biology.

References

Danovaro, R., Snelgrove, P. V. R., & Tyler, P. (2014). Challenging the paradigms of deep-sea ecology. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 29(8), 465-475. doi:10.1016/j.tree.2014.06.002

Exploring Our Fluid Earth. Phylum Arthropoda. https://manoa.hawaii.edu/exploringourfluidearth/biological/invertebrates/phylum-arthropoda

Exploring Our Fluid Earth. Worms: Phyla Platyhelmintes, Nematoda, and Annelida. https://manoa.hawaii.edu/exploringourfluidearth/biological/invertebrates/worms-phyla-platyhelmintes-nematoda-and-annelida

NOAA Ocean Exploration. Deep-sea mining interests in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. US Department of Commerce. https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/18ccz/background/mining/mining.html

Rabone, M, Glover, A. G., & Horton, T. (2023). Clarion-Clipperton Zone Species Checklist. Accessed at https://www.marinespecies.org/deepsea/CCZ/

Rabone, M., Wiethase, J. H., Simon-Lledó, E., Emery, A. M., Jones, D. O. B., Dahlgren, T. G., Bribiesca-Contreras, G., Wiklund, H., Horton, T., & Glover, A. G. (2023). How many metazoan species live in the world's largest mineral exploration region? Current Biology, 33(12), 2383-2396.E5. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2023.04.052

Stillman, D. (2009, October 8). Oceans: The Great Unknown. NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/5-8/features/oceans-the-great-unknown-58.html

Water Science School. (2019, November 13). How much water is there on Earth? USGS. https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/how-much-water-there-earth

About the Author

Amelia Hersant is an office worker by day but a surfer, traveler, and all around lover of the great outdoors in her spare time. When all is said and done, there is nothing she likes more than stretching out by the sea to read about the adventures of humans and animals alike.

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Undiscovered Species of the Deep Sea: Can We Find Them?

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Science Connected Magazine is an editorially independent, non-profit newsroom producing open-access science journalism and scientific fact-checking for the global public.

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The ocean floor

Seventy percent of the Earth's surface is below the ocean, yet 95 percent of it remains unexplored to the human eye. Although the oft-heard statistic is that we know more about the surface of Mars than we do about the ocean seabed, scientists have been able to map the entire ocean floor-but the resolution is incredibly poor, so we can only visualize features larger than three miles. Ongoing research like Seabed 2030 aims to bring the ocean floor into greater focus, so we can better see and understand what's really down there. For now, we can just marvel at the most stunning deep-sea sights in the world.

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14 Mysteries of the Ocean Scientists Still Can't Explain

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Seventy percent of the Earth's surface is below the ocean, yet 95 percent of it remains unexplored to the human eye. Although the oft-heard statistic is that we know more about the surface of Mars than we do about the ocean seabed, scientists have been able to map the entire ocean floor-but the resolution is incredibly poor, so we can only visualize features larger than three miles.

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Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About the Ocean

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Top 10 Things You Didn't Know About the Ocean | U.S. Geological Survey

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For ocean month, let's explore some fun facts you might not know about the ocean!

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Oceans cover about 71% of the Earth's surface, which is almost three quarters, and, in their vastness and depths, contain 321,003,271 cubic miles* of water, that is 97% of all the water found on our Planet.

Knowing this, it is perfectly understandable that you want to find out all the information and data about our oceans, including their surface area, volume and average depth.

In this ocean literacy article, we will not only look at the list of the oceans, their details and map; we will also learn about the essential role they play in the balance of all life on Earth, and what we can do to protect marine ecosystems and save our oceans from the various threats they are facing.

Keep reading if you want to find out all you need to know about the Ocean!

*A cubic mile is the volume of a cube that measures one mile on each side.

One Global Ocean

Did you know that all the Oceans are actually part of a same huge body of water? This is called the Global Ocean, or just the Ocean.

This massive body of water produces more than half of the oxygen we breathe and it is home to more than 230,000 marine creatures (and more to be discovered as we explore its deepest parts!).

The reality of a single ocean is also proven by the phenomenon of thermohaline circulation (also known as the Global Ocean Conveyor or the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt), which consists in the circulation of seawater around all the oceans, regardless of man-made boundaries, and the replacement of water at depth with water from the surface.

Nonetheless, as we all know, human beings have divided the Ocean based on historical, geographic and cultural factors. Today, there are five recognized Oceans on our planet: the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Arctic Ocean and the Southern Ocean.

Historically, the Southern Ocean was not recognized, and in started appearing in maps only after the year 2000. Moreover, some scientific literature only talks about three Major Oceans: Pacific, Atlantic and Indian.

Let's look at each of the five World Oceans in detail.

The Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest Ocean on Earth. It is located along the western coast of the United States and stretches to Southeast Asia, the eastern side of Australia, and the west coast of South America.

In the North, the Pacific is connected to the Arctic Ocean, and to the Southern Ocean in the South.

It also connects to the Indian Ocean by the Strait of Malacca and, in the east, to the Atlantic Ocean by the Strait of Magellan.

Its name comes from the fact that Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, during his journey to the Philippines, found it very peaceful.

Despite its name, the Pacific Ocean is not peaceful at all, and it is often slammed by typhoons and hurricanes.

How big is the Pacific Ocean?

The Pacific Ocean covers 165,250,000 square km (63,800,000 sq. mi), which is roughly 46% of Earth's water surface.

In global, it covers 28% of the planet, which is similar to the sum of all landmasses combined.

How deep is the Pacific Ocean?

This Ocean contains the lowest known point on earth and the deepest part of the Ocean, the Mariana Trench at 10,911 m below sea level.

Seas of the Pacific Ocean

Some of the well-known seas of the Pacific include Celebes Sea, Coral Sea, Sulu Sea, East China Sea, South China Sea, Sea of Japan, Tasman Sea, and Yellow Sea.

The Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic is the second-largest ocean on our planet and takes its name from Greek mythology: it is the "Sea of Atlas ", a Titan condemned to hold Earth on his shoulders for eternity.

This body of water is found between Africa, Europe, the Americas, the Arctic, and the Southern Ocean.

In the West, the Atlantic extends all the way from North to South America. In the east, it connects to the Pacific Ocean through the Arctic Ocean in the north, and through the Southern Ocean in the South.

Extraordinary human labor created the Panama Canal at the end of the 19th century, which now connects the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans.

The 20° meridian divides the Atlantic from the Indian Ocean in the east.

How big is the Atlantic Ocean?

The Atlantic Ocean is about 106,460,000 square km (41,100,000 sq. mi) in area and its volume is 354,700,000 km³. It covers roughly one-fifth of the Earth's surface and ​​occupies an elongated, S-shaped basin extending in a north-south direction.

How deep is the Atlantic Ocean?

The lowest point in the Atlantic Ocean is the Milwaukee Deep, in the Puerto Rico Trench, with a depth of 8,376 m (27,480 ft) below sea level. Including the adjacent seas, the Atlantic averages 3,332 m (10,932 ft) deep.

Seas and Gulfs of the Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean includes some of the most well-known seas: Baltic Sea, Black Sea, Caribbean Sea, Labrador Sea, Mediterranean Sea, North Sea, Norwegian Sea, almost all the Scotia Sea, and other water bodies. We also find the Davis Strait, Denmark Strait, part of the Drake Passage and the Gulf of Mexico.

The Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third-largest ocean on the planet. It goes from Africa in the west, to the Southern Ocean, southern Asia in the north and Australia to the east.

Again the 20° east meridian traces a line between the Indian and the Atlantic Ocean and the 147° east meridian separates it from the Pacific Ocean.

In this oceanographic region, currents are controlled by the monsoons. One current flows clockwise north of the Equator, and the other flows counterclockwise, in the southern hemisphere. When the winter monsoon occurs, the currents in the north are reversed.

How big is the Indian Ocean?

The Indian Ocean takes up 70,560,000 sq. km (27,240,000 sq. mi) roughly 19.8% of all the water on Earth's surface.

Underneath the Indian Ocean is located the convergence of the African, Indian and Antarctic crustal plates.

How deep is the Indian Ocean?

The deepest point of the Indian Ocean is the Java Trench, situated south of Java, in the eastern Indian Ocean; it is approximately 7,725 meters deep.

Seas and Gulfs of the Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean includes the Andaman Sea, Arabian Sea, Flores Sea, Great Australian Bight, Gulf of Oman, Java Sea, Red Sea, Savu Sea, Timor Sea.

Here we also find the Bay of Bengal, Mozambique Channel, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Aden, and Strait of Malacca.

There are many large rivers flowing into the Indian Ocean: the Zambezi, Arvandrud/Shatt-al-Arab, Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra and the Irrawaddy.

The Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is not only the smallest ocean in the world, it is also the coldest.

This body of water lies between Europe, Asia, and North America, mostly north of the Arctic Circle.

The Norwegian Current coming from the Atlantic represents its greatest inflow of water, although some also enters from the Pacific through the Bering Strait. In the past, the Arctic Ocean was covered in ice all year round, but this is now changing drastically due to global warming. The melting ice causes salinity and subfreezing temperatures to vary and this affects the whole globe.

Marine life is believed to be scarce in the icy waters of the Arctic Ocean, except in its southerly waters.

How big is the Arctic Ocean?

The area of the Arctic Ocean is 14,056,000 sq. km (5,427,000 sq. mi) which actually makes it smaller than Russia.

How deep is the Arctic Ocean?

The deepest point detected in Arctic waters is 5,502 meters (18,050 feet), but the average depth is only 987 meters (3,240 feet).

Seas and Gulfs of the Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean and its marginal seas include the Chukchi, East Siberian, Barents, Laptev, Kara, White, Greenland, and Beaufort; some oceanographers also include the Bering and Norwegian seas.

The Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean comes fourth in terms of dimensions and covers approximately one-sixteenth of Earth's ocean area. This Ocean started to be recognized and accepted only in 2000 by the International Hydrographic Organization. This is because it encircles Antarctica and is actually made up by the portions of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans that surround the continent.

Its narrowest point is the Drake Passage, about 1,000 km (600 miles) wide, between South America and the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.

How big is the Southern Ocean?

The Southern Ocean covers 21,960,000 square km (8,479,000 square miles), and it holds 71,800,000 cubic km (17,226,000 cubic miles) of water.

How deep is the Southern Ocean?

This ocean is predominantly deep water, with an average depth of 3,270 meters; its lowest point is 7,235 m deep, located at the southern end of the South Sandwich Trench, southeast of the island of South Georgia.

A map of the oceans

Here is a map of the five World Oceans we just described, so that you can visualize them and the space they occupy on the Earth's surface.

The importance of the Oceans for life on Earth

The Ocean is incredibly important for all life on our planet, and not just for the well-being of marine creatures and plants.

For example, as we mentioned above, oceans produce half of the oxygen in our atmosphere, and they absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide, one of the major causes of climate change. The ocean is what we call a carbon sink, which means that it absorbs more CO2 than it releases.

Oceans also regulate the climate by moving heat around the planet: warmer ocean currents move towards the Poles, where they cool and circle back, affecting global weather patterns.

Preserving marine ecosystems and life is therefore of the utmost importance if we want to maintain the balance and reduce the impact of climate change.

Ocean's ecosystem

The ocean is home to a huge variety of life, and scientists keep discovering new species thanks to the latest technologies.

All these forms of life live in marine ecosystems, which are saltwater environments. Marine ecosystems include the open ocean, the deep-sea ocean, and coastal ecosystems. These all have different characteristics, but they are equally important for the well-being of our planet.

In fact, thoughtfully managing our marine ecosystems is essential if we want to maintain the Global Ocean's balance.

Recent research shows that reducing pollution and the stresses caused by excess human activities can help increase the resilience of marine species, and therefore preserve their ecosystem and with it the well-being of the Earth's inhabitants.

Threats

The major threats to marine ecosystem and the ocean are pollution and climate change. These are, of course, interconnected, and they result from human behavior.

By changing our behavior and habits, we can start working towards a more sustainable future and protect our oceans.

What to do to save the Ocean

Let us now look at some strategies we can use to save our oceans.

Implement Change

Experts recommend that the biggest shifts we can work towards as a society are:

eliminating coal combustion, which will help reduce ocean bound mercury pollution

transitioning away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy;

reducing the production and use of single-use plastic to cut the amount of plastic in our environment;

Expanding Marine Protected Areas to safeguard critical ecosystems, protect vulnerable fish, and improve human health.

Research & Engagement

Some of the main weapons we can use are research and ocean literacy.

By deepening our understanding of the effects our lives have on the ocean, we can start implementing better policies for all.

Moreover, research can be used to improve pollution monitoring and limit its impact on the planet and our health.

Publishing and spreading the results of research will help improve community engagement, which will in turn benefit the cause of fighting against marine pollution.

Let us start. It is not too late to save the Ocean!

What is Ocean Literacy

Ocean literacy is our capacity to understand how the oceans influence life, and in turn, how we influence the ocean. An ocean-literate person can:

Understand essential principles and fundamental concepts relating to the ocean;

Communicate about the ocean in a meaningful and informed way;

Make informed decisions regarding themes that affect the ocean.

Here are the seven Ocean Literacy principles:

1. Our planet has one big ocean with many features.

2. Life in the ocean shapes Earth's features.

3. The ocean has a massive influence on weather and the climate.

4. Oceans made and still makes the Earth habitable.

5. The ocean is home to a great array of life and ecosystems.

6. The ocean and human beings are inextricably interconnected.

7. Great part of the ocean is still unexplored.

Goals of Ocean Literacy

The concept of Ocean Literacy was born for not only educating and informing the public about the importance of oceans, but to foster everyone's responsible behavior towards the ocean and its resources so that we can work towards a more sustainable future.

The majority of us goes about our lives without being aware of how our actions impact the ocean and its well-being, just as we are unaware of how the ocean impacts ours.

The focus of Ocean Literacy initiatives is to raise the awareness and community engagement for the conservation and restoration of our ocean, its inhabitants and resources to work toward the implementation of sustainable policies worldwide.

References
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/howmanyoceans https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceanwater.html http://oceanliteracy.wp2.coexploration.org/ocean-literacy-framework/ https://www.marinebio.org/oceans/geography/ https://www.britannica.com/story/just-how-many-oceans-are-there https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/theres-a-new-ocean-now-can-you-name-all-five-southern-ocean https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2021/06/21/how-many-oceans-are-there https://www.geographyrealm.com/how-many-oceans-are-there/ https://oceanblueproject.org/what-are-the-five-oceans/ https://www.uw360.asia/the-worlds-5-oceans-explained/ https://oceanfdn.org/ocean-and-climate-change/

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Ocean: all you have to know about the oceans of the world

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Oceans cover about 71% of the Earth's surface, which is almost three quarters, and, in their vastness and depths, contain 321,003,271 cubic miles* of water, that is 97% of all the water found on our Planet. Knowing this, it is perfectly understandable that you want to find out all the information and data about our oceans, including their surface area, volume and average depth.