Yet, the ocean faces many environmental threats, such as marine pollution, overfishing, and the effects of climate change. Those effects include ocean warming, ocean acidification and sea …

Oct 9, 2025 · Ocean, continuous body of salt water held in enormous basins on Earth’s surface. There is one ‘world ocean,’ but researchers often separate it into the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, …

May 27, 2025 · The ocean offers a wealth of fishing and whaling resources, but these resources are threatened. People have harvested so much fish and marine life for food and other …

The ocean is a continuous body of salt water that covers more than 70 percent of the Earth's surface. Ocean currents govern the world's weather and churn a kaleidoscope of life.

Sep 4, 2025 · Learn about the ocean and its inhabitants, from sea turtles to whales. The ocean is essential to life on Earth. It covers more than 70% of our planet and holds 96.5% of all water. It …

The ocean covers about three-quarters of Earth's surface. Learn about ocean life, Smithsonian ocean research, and what threats the ocean faces.

Jun 23, 2025 · Covering around 71% of the Earth’s surface, the ocean contains about 97% of the planet’s water. The ocean provides a source of food, serves as a transport medium for roughly …

Explore our curated list of ocean topics to learn about NOAA's role in protecting, exploring, and conserving this vast resource.

The ocean covers most of our planet, regulates our weather and climate, absorbs vast amounts of carbon dioxide, provides most of our oxygen, and feeds much of the human population.

The seven named oceans and many seas, bays, and estuaries, are all interdependent and connected as one global ocean. The importance of the ocean to our everyday lives is …