World Ocean Day is celebrated on 8th June every year. It was accepted by a decree instituted by the United Nations. The proposal to celebrate the occasion was given by Canada, 15 years after which the proposal was accepted. The day was celebrated to protect and sustain the ecological balance of marine ecosystems. This year’s theme is to protect 30% of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem all across the world. Following are some interesting facts about World Ocean Day-

Interesting Facts about the World Ocean Day

World Ocean Day is a momentous occasion for environmentalists all across the world. Following are some interesting facts related to World Ocean Day-

The size and proportion of the oceans are huge

This is one of the primary facts about oceans which is known by most. However, with all the huge land masses surrounding it is an interesting fact that Oceans cover almost 70% of the total earth surface. The Pacific being the largest ocean covers nearly 30% of that space.

94% of all life forms are aquatic

The Animal kingdom has a sizable proportion living in the ocean. More than 50% of the animal kingdom resides in oceans. However, recent studies estimate that oceans support nearly 94% of aquatic life. Starting from the largest mammal in the world which is the Blue Whale to phytoplankton, which is a microorganism producing more than 90% of the world’s oxygen, the oceanic ecosystem is replete with wonders.

Presence of Other Water Bodies in Oceans

This is an interesting fact about Oceans. We sometimes think of oceans as separate bodies of water. However, there is the presence of many lakes, rivers and waterfalls under the surface of the oceans. The largest and one of the most graceful waterfalls in the world, The Denmark Strait Cataract, is located under the surface of the oceans.

Oceans have 20 million tonnes of gold

Courtesy, movies about aquatic water life, we have built up our imagination about oceans containing desired treasures and a chest of irreplaceable wealth. To some extent, scientific discoveries suggest that oceans contain more than 20 million tonnes of gold. That is enough gold for more than 5 kilograms to be possessed by all human beings on earth. Most of these gold deposits are found in inaccessible form and sediment deposits under the surface of the ocean. Therefore mining and excavation of this gold is a difficult process.

More people have been on the moon than the deepest part of the ocean

This again is an interesting fact about ocean systems. The deepest part of the ocean is the Mariana Trench which is more than 35,000 feet or 11km deep into the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The air pressure there is equivalent to 50 jumbo jets sitting and applying pressure on you. Therefore only 4 people have been to Mariana Trench than the 12 people who have successfully landed on the surface of the moon to date. The air pressure prevalent there makes it inaccessible.

70% of the oxygen we breathe in is produced by oceans

It is a common belief among us that Plants above the surface of the earth are responsible primarily for the oxygen that we breathe in. However, this case is not true as Phytoplankton, an algal growth underneath the surface of the ocean produces more than 70% of the oxygen on the earth surface. The photosynthetic reaction takes place inside the earth surface and therefore leads to the production of fresh oxygen.

There are more historical artefacts in the ocean than all the world’s museums combined

These interesting facts about oceans have been discovered by the famous exploration, discovery agency National Geographic. The remains of some of the greatest engineering marvels that were created for ocean surface travel like USS 65, Titanic, Santa Maria and Spanish Armada are found at the bottom of the ocean. Therefore the ocean bed is a site of rich cultural discoveries that have shaped the history of the earth’s existence.

Earth’s longest mountain range is underwater, and the biggest canyon too

We do not associate oceans with landlord features. But the longest mountain range on the earth’s surface, the Ocean Ridge, is located underwater. The Ocean Ridge is spread across the entire length and breadth of the ocean surface. It accesses the different aquatic boundaries and the tectonic plates that lie under the surface of the water causing volcanic eruptions underwater. The deepest canyon, from top to bottom, on the planet is not the Grand Canyon in Arizona but rather the Zhemchug Canyon in the Bering Strait. It’s about 750 meters grander.

90% of Volcanic Activity happens underneath the Ocean Surface

We mainly associate volcanic activity with seas, since most of the volcanic islands in the world like Hawaii and Fiji which have later gained attraction as tourist destinations have developed near seas, oceans also have their fair share of volcanic eruptions underwater. This happens to owe to the movement in the underwater tectonic plates. In the South Pacific, there is one area with over 1000 volcanoes in a space smaller than New York state. This is an interesting fact to know about Oceans.

Tsunami’s under the ocean move at incredible speeds

Tsunamis are a gigantic movement of water currents taking place underneath the ocean surface. Tectonic Plate movements and consequent earthquakes result in Tsunamis which can move at about 800km/hr. As they reach the surface of the sea level, they increase the speed at times and crash on the coastal areas creating devastating consequences for the terrestrial life near the oceans.

Summary

Therefore the celebration of World Oceans Day must start by mentioning and learning about the interesting facts about Ocean, understanding how they are related to our existence and creating a knowledge base for most of those mentioned facts.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Which Day is celebrated as World Oceans Day?

World Ocean Day is celebrated on 8th June every year

What is the objective behind celebrating this day?

The day was celebrated to protect and sustain the ecological balance of marine ecosystems. This year’s theme is to protect 30% of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem all across the world.

How did World Oceans Day come into being?

It was accepted by a decree instituted by the United Nations. The proposal to celebrate the occasion was given by Canada, 15 years after which the proposal was accepted.

Which underwater Algal Plant produces Oxygen?

Phytoplankton produces Oxygen underwater.

Which is the deepest point in the ocean?

Mariana Trench (35,082) feet is the deepest point on the ocean surface.