Almost 95% of all water on Earth is salty and unfit for consumption. Seas, oceans and salt lakes are made of it. Collectively, all this is called the World Ocean. Its area is three quarters of the entire area of the planet.
The World Ocean - what is it?
A grain of sand in the ocean. Photo by Oleg Patrin.
The names of the oceans have been familiar to us since elementary school. These are the Pacific, otherwise called the Great, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic. All of them together are called the World Ocean. Its area is more than 350 million km2. This is a huge territory even on a planetary scale. The continents divide the World Ocean into four oceans known to us. Each of them has its own characteristics, its own unique underwater world, varying depending on the climate zone, current temperature and bottom topography. A map of the oceans shows that they are all connected to each other. None of them are surrounded by land on all sides.
The science that studies the oceans is oceanology
In Britannica Escola. Cousteau Society-The Image Bank/Getty Images
The continents divide the World Ocean into four oceans known to us. Each of them has its own characteristics, its own unique underwater world, varying depending on the climate zone, current temperature and bottom topography. A map of the oceans shows that they are all connected to each other. None of them are surrounded by land on all sides. The science that studies the oceans is oceanology. How do we know that seas and oceans exist? Geography is a school subject that first introduces us to these concepts. But a special science—oceanology—is engaged in a more in-depth study of the oceans. She considers water expanses as an integral natural object, studies the biological processes occurring inside it, and its connection with other constituent elements of the biosphere. This science studies the ocean depths to achieve the following goals: increasing the efficiency and ensuring the safety of underwater and surface navigation; optimization of the use of mineral resources of the ocean floor; maintaining the biological balance of the oceanic environment; improvement of meteorological forecasts.
How did the modern names of the oceans come about?
Every geographical feature is given a name for a reason. Any name has certain historical background or is associated with the characteristic features of a particular territory. Let's find out when and how the names of the oceans came about and who came up with them.
Atlantic coast
Atlantic Ocean. The works of the ancient Greek historian and geographer Strabo described this ocean, calling it Western. Later, some scientists called it the Hesperides Sea. This is confirmed by a document dated 90 BC. Already in the ninth century AD, Arab geographers announced the name “Sea of Darkness”, or “Sea of Darkness”. The Atlantic Ocean received such a strange name because of the clouds of sand and dust that were raised above it by the winds constantly blowing from the African continent. The modern name was first used in 1507, after Columbus reached the shores of America. Officially, this name was established in geography in 1650 in the scientific works of Bernhard Waren.
Pacific Ocean. Community Islands.
Pacific Ocean. was named so by the Spanish navigator Ferdinand Magellan. Despite the fact that it is quite stormy and there are often storms and tornadoes, during Magellan’s expedition, which lasted a year, the weather was always good and calm, and this was a reason to think that the ocean was really quiet and calm. When the truth was revealed, no one began to rename the Pacific Ocean. In 1756, the famous traveler and explorer Bayush proposed calling it the Great, since it is the largest ocean of all. To this day, both of these names are used.
"Deathfinger"
In the Arctic, there are quite unusual icicles underwater that can harm ocean inhabitants. Salt from glaciers flows down to the bottom in thin streams, freezing the sea water around it. Further, the finger of death may continue to crawl along the bottom. In just 15 minutes, Brynicle can trap sea inhabitants in an ice trap that did not swim away in time.
Reason to give a name Arctic Ocean there were a lot of ice floes drifting in its waters, and, of course, the geographical location. Its second name – Arctic – comes from the Greek word “arktikos”, which means “northern”.
Snow-white beaches of the Indian Ocean
With title Indian Ocean everything is extremely simple. India is one of the first countries known to the ancient world. The waters that wash its shores were named after her.
Four Oceans
How many oceans are there on the planet? This question seems to be the simplest, but for many years it has been causing discussions and debates among oceanologists. The standard list of oceans looks like this:
- Quiet.
- Indian.
- Atlantic.
- Arctic.
The characteristics of the oceans vary depending on many factors, although they may all appear to be the same. Let's get to know each of them and find out the most important information about all of them.
Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean. Map.
It is also called Great because it has the largest area among all. The Pacific Ocean basin occupies slightly less than half the area of all the world's waters and is equal to 179.7 million km². It includes 30 seas: Japan, Tasman, Java, South China, Okhotsk, Philippines, New Guinea, Savu Sea, Halmahera Sea, Koro Sea, Mindanao Sea, Yellow Sea, Visayan Sea, Aki Sea, Solomonovo, Bali Sea, Samair Sea, Coral, Banda, Sulu, Sulawesi, Fiji, Maluku, Comotes, Seram Sea, Flores Sea, Sibuyan Sea, East China Sea, Bering Sea, Amudesen Sea. All of them occupy 18% of the total area of the Pacific Ocean. It is also a leader in the number of islands. There are about 10 thousand of them. The largest islands in the Pacific Ocean are New Guinea and Kalimantan. The subsoil of the seabed contains more than a third of the world's reserves of natural gas and oil, active production of which occurs mainly in the shelf areas of China, the United States of America and Australia. Many transport routes pass through the Pacific Ocean, connecting Asian countries with South and North America.
Atlantic Ocean
Relief map of the Atlantic Ocean floor.
It is the second largest in the world, and this is clearly demonstrated by the map of the oceans. Its area is 93,360 thousand km2. The Atlantic Ocean basin contains 13 seas. They all have a coastline. An interesting fact is that in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean there is the fourteenth sea - Sargasovo, called the sea without shores. Its boundaries are ocean currents. It is considered the largest sea in the world by area. Another feature of this ocean is the maximum influx of fresh water, which is provided by the large rivers of North and South America, Africa and Europe. In terms of the number of islands, this ocean is the complete opposite of the Pacific. There are very few of them here. But it is in the Atlantic Ocean that the largest island on the planet, Greenland, and the most remote island, Bouvet, are located. Although sometimes Greenland is classified as an island of the Arctic Ocean.
Indian Ocean
Relief map of the Indian Ocean floor.
Interesting facts about the third largest ocean by area will make us even more surprised. The Indian Ocean was the first known and explored. He is the guardian of the largest coral reef complex. The waters of this ocean keep the secret of a mysterious phenomenon that has not yet been properly studied. The fact is that luminous circles of regular shape periodically appear on the surface. According to one version, this is the glow of plankton rising from the depths, but their ideal spherical shape still remains a mystery. Not far from the island of Madagascar you can observe a one-of-a-kind natural phenomenon - an underwater waterfall. Now some facts about the Indian Ocean. Its area is 79,917 thousand km2. The average depth is 3711 m. It washes 4 continents and has 7 seas. Vasco da Gama is the first explorer to sail across the Indian Ocean.
Arctic Ocean.
Map of the Arctic Ocean.
It is the smallest and coldest of all the oceans. Area – 13,100 thousand km2. It is also the shallowest, the average depth of the Arctic Ocean is only 1225 m. It consists of 10 seas. In terms of the number of islands, this ocean ranks second after the Pacific. The central part of the ocean is covered with ice. Floating ice floes and icebergs are observed in the southern regions. Sometimes you can find entire ice floating islands 30-35 m thick. It was here that the infamous Titanic crashed after colliding with one of them. Despite the harsh climate, the Arctic Ocean is home to many species of animals: walruses, seals, whales, seagulls, jellyfish and plankton.
Depth of the oceans
We already know the names of the oceans and their features. But which ocean is the deepest? Let's look into this issue. A contour map of the oceans and ocean floor shows that the bottom topography is as diverse as the topography of the continents. Under the thickness of sea water there are hidden depressions, depressions and elevations like mountains. The average depth of all four oceans combined is 3700 m. The deepest is the Pacific Ocean, the average depth of which is 3980 m, followed by the Atlantic - 3600 m, followed by the Indian - 3710 m. The latest in this list, as already mentioned, is is the Arctic Ocean, the average depth of which is only 1225 m.
Salt is the main feature of ocean waters.
The Dead Sea is the saltiest sea in the world.
Everyone knows the difference between sea and ocean water and fresh river water. Now we will be interested in such a characteristic of the oceans as the amount of salt. If you think that the water is equally salty everywhere, you are very mistaken. The concentration of salt in ocean waters can vary significantly even within a few kilometers. The average salinity of ocean waters is 35 ‰. If we consider this indicator separately for each ocean, then the Arctic is the least saline of all: 32 ‰. Pacific Ocean - 34.5 ‰. The salt content in the water here is low due to the large amount of precipitation, especially in the equatorial zone. Indian Ocean - 34.8 ‰. Atlantic – 35.4 ‰. It is important to note that bottom waters have a lower salt concentration than surface waters. The saltiest seas in the World Ocean are the Red Sea (41 ‰), the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf (up to 39 ‰).
Movement of water in the ocean
Ocean Current Circulation
In the World Ocean there are parts that are in constant motion, they are called sea currents. At sea, currents are less pronounced; the largest ones are in the ocean. Currents are varied: they can flow on the surface or at depth, they can be colder than the calm water surrounding them, or they can be warmer, they can be permanent or seasonal. There are several reasons for the appearance of currents and, depending on this, currents can be divided into groups:
- Density. Water with different salinity has different density. Due to the difference in densities, currents are formed (from an area with higher density to an area with lower density).
- Sewage and compensation. Different areas of the world's oceans have different water levels. Sewage currents are formed when water flows from areas with a high level to an area with a lower level. Compensatory currents are formed when the lost water is replaced.
- Drift and wind - formed under the influence of winds: drift - constantly blowing, wind - seasonal.
- Ebbs and flows. The water of the World Ocean reacts to the gravity of the moon, resulting in tidal currents that occur once a day. In that part of the globe that is closer to the moon, the tide is high, and in the other part, the tide is low.
Currents influence the climate of coastal areas. Thus, waste currents pass past the eastern coasts of the continents, are directed from the equator, they are warmer than the water surrounding them, and carry with them warm, moist air. Such currents soften the climate of coastal areas. Compensatory currents pass by the western coasts of the continents; they are colder than the surrounding waters and bring with them fairly dry air. Compensatory currents are one of the reasons why deserts often appear on the western shores of continents.
World Ocean Records
- The deepest place in the World Ocean is the Mariinsky Trench, its depth is 11,035 m from the surface water level.
- If we consider the depth of the seas, the Philippine Sea is considered the deepest. Its depth reaches 10,540 m.
- In second place in this indicator is the Coral Sea with a maximum depth of 9140 m.
- The largest ocean is the Pacific. Its area is larger than the area of the entire earth's land.
- The saltiest sea is the Red Sea. It is located in the Indian Ocean. Salt water supports all objects that fall into it well, and in order to drown in this sea, you need to try very hard.
- The most mysterious place is located in the Atlantic Ocean, and its name is the Bermuda Triangle. There are many legends and mysteries associated with it.
- The most poisonous sea creature is the blue-ringed octopus. It lives in the Indian Ocean.
- The largest collection of corals in the world, the Great Barrier Reef, is located in the Pacific Ocean.
There are five oceans in the world - the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Southern Ocean. Each of these oceans is characterized by a specific terrain, depth and size. Want to know which ocean is the deepest ocean in the world? The largest and deepest ocean in the world is the Pacific Ocean. It covers an area of 65,300 thousand square miles or 169,200,000 square kilometers. The ocean extends from the Arctic Ocean to the Southern Ocean.
According to geographic data, about 46 percent of the earth's surface water belongs to the Pacific Ocean. In other words, it accounts for up to 30 percent of the earth's surface. An interesting fact is that the volume of the Pacific Ocean is believed to be about 622 million cubic meters. The Pacific Ocean is divided into two parts, the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean, the division occurs along the equator.
When it comes to the average depth of the Pacific Ocean, oceanographers estimate it to be about 13,215 feet. The main reason is the collision of oceanic plates in this region. Two converging oceanic plates collided with each other, and one of them moved down into the mantle layer. This collision led to the formation of the Mariana Trench - 35,797 feet or 10,911 meters.
Photo of the deepest ocean
Benoit Lecomte(Benoit Lecomte) became the first person to dare such an adventure. His six-month, 5,500-mile swim will give people an inside look at the world's oceans.
The idea to swim across the Pacific Ocean from Tokyo to San Francisco came to Lecomte several years ago. Since June 5 this year, he has been spending eight hours a day in the water, crossing the largest ocean on the planet. Benoit pursues not only sporting goals. Part of the expedition, called the Swim, was research projects in the fields of biology, oceanography and medicine that Lecomte and his six support team are conducting together with teams of researchers from NASA and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
Swimmer
His name may be familiar to you. In 1998, Benoit became the first person to swim across the Atlantic Ocean, starting from Massachusetts in the United States and finishing in France, with a week's stop in the Azores. That swim was dedicated to the memory of Father Lecomte and cancer research. The swimmer devoted four years to preparing for the current expedition.
“The ocean is in danger now,” says Lecomte. - We don't really know much about this. No one has ever collected data from one coast to another.”
By undertaking this incredible journey, he hopes to raise public awareness of the human impact on the world's oceans.
Support
From Tokyo, Lecomte is accompanied by Seeker, a yacht with six crew members, fully equipped for a six-month voyage. The athlete rests on it after daily swimming sessions, and there, if necessary, he can get help. Lecomte swims about 30 nautical miles a day. Every morning, Seeker uses GPS data to return Benoit to the point where he was picked up the night before. In addition to the usual swimming equipment - a suit, a mask with a snorkel and fins - the swimmer's arsenal includes an electromagnetic device that repels sharks and a biometric sensor. Data from the medical sensor relays information about Lecomte's health to the crew and team of doctors on land.
Research
The athlete is equipped with research equipment, including a small radiation sensor to search for and measure contamination from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant accident. The team is also collecting data on plastic pollution in the Pacific Ocean. Lecomte will get to see the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with his own eyes.
“This spot does not consist of large elements of plastic, but of very small fragments,” says Lecomte, “so its real size is not visible from a satellite. The only way you can spot it is by casting a net and assessing its density. That's how you know you're in the Pacific Garbage Patch."
With the help of modern technology, Benoit takes part in several medical studies. His health is being monitored by doctors in Texas.
“We're very interested in studying the limits of the human body,” says Benjamin Levin, a doctor at the Institute of Sports and Environmental Medicine. “Benoit and his experiment are an ideal example for us.”
You can follow the adventure of Benoit Lecomte on benlecomte.com, Seeker.com, as well as on Discovery Go and Instagram.
We give a description of several memorable days from Lecomte's diary.
1 day. June 5, 2018
Departure
This day was very emotional: after so many years of preparation, I would finally make my dream come true. However, it is not easy to realize that I am leaving my family and friends for so long. We swam the first 50 meters together with my children, Anna and Max, then we hugged in the water and said goodbye for a long time. I was left alone with my thoughts, reliving the moments before departure. After an hour of swimming, the water temperature began to drop and swimming became less comfortable. At five o'clock on the first day of the swim, colleagues from Seeker reported a five-foot shark that they had seen nearby. While our medic Max was kayaking towards me with equipment to repel the predator, right behind me I saw a three-foot shark swimming in the opposite direction. Having looked around and no longer seeing danger nearby, I continued to swim further. Max, who came up in a kayak, took my pulse and suggested that we finish for today. Well, six hours for the first day isn't too bad. And tomorrow will be a new day.
Day 15 June 20
Unforeseen difficulties
This morning a strong northeast wind blew again, raising large waves. The waves also came from the south. It was a rather strange combination, and it clearly worked against me. I had to wear an extra layer of swimming suit. Now I made more effort to swim, but it became much warmer. After the second hour on the water I began to wonder what my speed was. It turned out that it was only a little more than one knot. I was upset - what's the point of swimming all day, and as a result, covering only a few miles, like yesterday. We tried to take it a little further south, but there was no big difference. Another hour passed and the speed increased by only a few knots. It was no good; I became even more upset. I had to stop swimming for today... I hope this weather won’t last long.
Day 20 June 25
Good company
I didn't get much sleep today. When it was time to get into the water, it started to rain. The first two hours of sailing, as usual, flew by for me, but I was worried about Tee and Max, who accompanied me on the kayak, because the rain did not stop. Luckily for us, a group of dolphins suddenly appeared, instantly lifting our spirits. They allowed me to approach them, and for half a minute I swam in their flock - it was amazing! Sometimes they jumped out of the water, and I heard the delighted screams of Tee and Max. A little later we met another school of dolphins, but these did not stay long. They must have been interested in the fish that were washed to the bottom of the kayak. Such unique moments lived together with loved ones make them even more profound. It was truly an unforgettable day, thank you friends.
21 day. June 26
Plastic
Maria, Team Seeker: “As Ben continues to swim, we keep an eye on him and the boat crew, while watching the vast ocean around us. But the picture is not only majestic, but also, alas, sad: the ocean is full of garbage. Almost every minute we see something that should not be in the ocean - bottles, polystyrene, various types of plastic... Honestly, I am horrified by the realization of how much human impact is on the environment, and especially by the fact that we do not notice it . And because we don't directly interact with the consequences of our actions, it is very easy to ignore them, pretending that everything is fine. I feel a great need to show people how big the problem is and how urgent the issue of human responsibility to nature is now.
Whenever possible, we catch some debris and watch how marine life adapts to it, how new ecosystems grow right before our eyes. On the one hand, this wonderful ability of nature to adapt to everything cannot but impress, but there is also a downside - a negative impact, the extent of which we cannot even measure yet.
Using GPS, we try to record the location of particularly large accumulations of garbage.
It is interesting to understand how garbage gets into the ocean and what happens to it next. This may help to study the problem, but to solve it we need to fundamentally change the way we consume. And this is a personal matter for everyone - how much plastic they use, how they dispose of it, whether there is a need for disposable packaging at all, given such disastrous consequences of its use.
I’m sure that Ben with his crazy “Swim” is a great way to attract public attention to this problem and try to solve it together.”
Day 27 July 2
Curious turtle
Today the weather is wonderful again. Early in the morning, Mark noticed a turtle to my right. She swam very close, looking at me. It was followed by a colony of about 20 fish. Having made an almost complete circle around me, the turtle and its retinue dived into the depths and disappeared without a trace. A couple of hours later we saw them again, but not so close. In the evening we noticed dolphins, but they did not allow us to swim to them.
Day 45 July 20
Nausea
The weather was bad that morning and the forecast was not expected to improve. Strong gusts of wind and rain are not the best conditions for swimming, so Max suggested that I take a moment to rest and eat plenty, which I did. But I was not used to being on a yacht that was tossed about by the waves, and I began to feel sick. There is a big difference - being in a rough sea on the water or on a yacht. In the second case, the body is forced to adapt to the rhythm of the boat, which can be thrown around quite unpleasantly on the waves, while in the water the same waves quite gently lift and lower you. Therefore, in rough seas I have to get used to being on board for some time, and sometimes, like now, this is accompanied by nausea.
Day 48 July 23
The appearance of whales
"Whales!" - Max shouted, pointing overboard. This morning Paul was at the helm and I stood with him on deck. The whole crew instantly gathered at the top, and Paul turned the yacht towards where the spray was rising from. We all watched a magnificent picture: birds were circling above the water, and whales were splashing under the water, sending jets of water upward. Paul stopped the yacht nearby, and not even a minute had passed when a stream rose from under the water a few meters from us. Max grabbed his GoPro and jumped into the water.
These shots are some of the best on our trip.
Day 64 August 7
Ocean Connection
When I'm floating in the heart of the ocean, I don't need Wi-Fi, because there is a more subtle connection. In our age of the Internet and social networks, we often forget how important it is to spend some time alone with ourselves. In this regard, I was lucky to be in the company of the ocean most of the day. This is important to me because I can ask myself many important questions. How can I better express what I am experiencing? How to make people hear the real voice of the ocean? I have never felt so close to this unknown water universe, and I hope I can convey this feeling to people. Perhaps together we can find a way to protect him.
Day 65 8 August
What am I aiming for?
I'm not against plastic, I'm for using it responsibly. I wouldn't want to put any extra weight on the shoulders of the next generation. Like many people today, I'm trying to reduce the amount of packaging I buy. And I’m probably not ready to completely give up plastic in everyday life. But what I see in the ocean today makes me think hard about how to solve this problem. I hope that those who read this blog will hear me.
It would seem that the Pacific Ocean should be serene, but in fact it is not calm at all - storms often rage here. The name was given by Ferdinand Magellan, who for three months did not encounter a storm, all the time observing the relatively calm surface of the water. The area is 180 million square kilometers, which is about 30 percent of the earth's surface or half the area of all the oceans and more than the area of all land combined. The extreme points - the Malacca Peninsula and Panama are located at a distance of 24 thousand kilometers from each other, this is more than half the circumference of the globe.
Peculiarities
The Pacific Ocean is by no means a calm place. Strong hurricanes sweep over the water. Tsunamis caused by earthquakes form waves that rush towards the coast at a speed of almost a thousand kilometers per hour, causing enormous destruction.
Tsunami in Japan
Europeans discovered the Pacific Ocean later than other oceans. It was visited almost simultaneously by the indigenous inhabitants of Europe from two sides - from the west in 1512 by the Portuguese Serrana and Di Abreu, and from the east in 1513 by the Spaniard Nunez de Balboa, who crossed the Isthmus of Panama.
The water level of the Pacific Ocean is higher than in neighboring oceans; in such vast spaces, the law of vessels that communicate with each other does not work.
The perimeter of the Pacific Ocean is the line where tectonic plates collide, this is the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, this name was given due to the many active volcanoes. This dangerous area is rife with earthquakes, which often cause tsunamis. Only the South Pacific is a relatively calm place.
In ancient times, people plied the ocean surface on fairly simple ships. This was proven by Thor Heyerdahl, who sailed on rafts made of Balsa wood from the coast of Peru to the Tuamotu archipelago. The end points were 7,000 kilometers apart, and the voyage itself took more than three months.
Large waves that form in different places are suitable for surfing.
On the island of Yap you can see the largest monetary units - these are stone rings, the diameter of some of them exceeds two meters. People do not move them from place to place, but knock out the name of the new owner in front of witnesses, erasing the name of the old one.
Interesting facts about the Pacific Ocean - records. This is a very deep body of water - the average depth is about four kilometers, and there is the deepest place on Earth - the Mariana Trench, which is more than 11 kilometers deep. Of course, there are many interesting facts about such a significant place on the planet. There is also the Tonga Trench, which is only 200 meters shallower than the Mariana Trench and is the deepest place in the southern hemisphere. The third deepest place on Earth is located near the Philippine Islands, its depth is more than 10 kilometers. The Tonga Trench is connected to the Kermadec Trench with a depth of just over 10 kilometers, this is the fourth deepest place in the Pacific Ocean.
There are many islands here - more than ten thousand (according to some data - about 25 thousand), according to this parameter it is a record holder. Such a large number of islands is explained by volcanic activity in this region - some islands arose from lava, others (for example, atolls) are the tops of volcanic cones. Some islands arose on shallows and are of coral origin.
In Micronesia there are the Mariana Islands, which have a very warm climate - the air temperature is about 30 degrees Celsius, the water temperature is about 25 degrees Celsius. Moreover, temperature fluctuations are minimal - in 1934, the largest difference between the coldest and warmest day of the year was recorded, it was 12 degrees Celsius.
There are many shells in which pearls are found. The largest pearl was found off the island of Palawan (Philippines). She weighed more than six kilograms, with a length of 24 and a width of 16 centimeters.
The Pacific Ocean is associated with warmth and palm trees. But here there is a northern ice cover, which forms in the Sea of Japan, Bering, and Okhotsk, as well as a southern one, which forms near Antarctica. Icebergs that float on the sea never cross the equator, and always belong to the part of the hemisphere in which they formed.
In Korea, tides reach a height of 9 meters.
Animal and plant life
There is as much biomass (plants and animals) here as in all other oceans combined. This is due not only to its large size, but also to the fact that there are many more species here in the tropical part than in the same climatic conditions in other parts of the world. In total, there are about 100 thousand animals living in water in this region.
The largest tridacna lives near the equator, weighing up to four hundred kilograms. It poses a danger to divers, because a large shell with its doors can squeeze the hand of a careless or overly curious underwater diver.
In the recent past, sea cows lived on the Commander Islands, which were first discovered by Bering in 1741. These animals lived in these territories even before the appearance of humans. But when hunters appeared, these sirenian mammals were completely exterminated within a few decades.
The International Date Line, which runs approximately along the 180th meridian, divides time into two days. That is, on the two sides of this conditional line there are different dates.
In the deep depressions there is very strong water pressure and almost complete darkness. But life thrives here, with many deep-sea fish glowing in the dark. This deep-sea world has been little studied. Almost every time scientific vehicles descend to great depths, new species of living beings are discovered.
To the northeast of Australia is the Great Barrier Reef. This is the largest landform on the planet that was created by living beings. In addition to many reefs, about a thousand atolls rise on the ocean surface here - low coral islands that are shaped like a ring. This shape is explained by the fact that the cone of an extinct volcano is surrounded by a coral reef in a circle.
The Pacific Ocean is the most tourist place on earth, where locals relax and millions of tourists from all over the world come here. There are many ship routes and air routes here. It is very important to preserve the ecology of this place, since its large size does not at all mean that this place is protected from the harmful influence of humans. After all, in the northern part of the water area there is a large garbage patch - human-made waste is carried here by the current. The pollution is very uneven, so its area cannot be accurately determined, but this stain on the water surface (and on a person’s reputation) is very large - from one to one hundred million square kilometers. You can observe so-called garbage islands hundreds of kilometers in diameter.