Habitat is simply the place where something lives. So, the ocean habitat is where marine animals and plants live.
It’s a prominent place, joining small seas covering over 70% of the Earth’s surface. As a result, the ocean habitat is the largest habitat on Earth.
The ocean is a marine habitat, which means it contains 35g of salt for every kilogram of water and is incredibly salty.
Even though many animals (that includes humans!) can’t drink seawater, and possibly because it spans the entire planet, the ocean habitat contains the most incredible diversity of life on Earth.
From the freezing polar caps (where ice float in the water) to the warm tropics (where coral reefs abound), you’ll find marine organisms that have adapted to their wet and salty environment.
They thrive in the ocean habitat.
What makes marine habitats different from each other when it’s the same ocean habitat?
Maybe you think that it will be uniform because the ocean habitat is only one habitat.
But actually, two simple things have a massive impact on the marine organisms that live in the ocean: temperature and pressure.
That means the organisms that thrive in the tropics will likely die in the polar regions and vice versa.
Those living in the ocean’s upper layers will not make it to the bottom layers of the deep zone.
Why is the ocean habitat critical?
Any discussion on ocean habitat for kids should include an answer to the question, “Why is the ocean habitat important?”. There are many reasons why it’s essential. For example, coastal and ocean habitats protect the creatures that live in them and humans. In addition, wetlands and mangroves act as adequate buffers against storms and reduce flooding that could be dangerous to coastal communities.
Ocean habitats are also important when it comes to mating. Without it, such animals as salmon won’t be able to lay and fertilize their eggs. Young fish will also not reach maturity without ocean habitats.
Ocean temperature: How does the temperature of ocean water vary?
Just like on land, there are temperature variations in the open ocean, not only vertically (from the upper layers to the bottom) and horizontally (from the equator to the poles).
Unlike land, water temperature changes a lot more slowly. That means places close to the ocean often have milder seasons than landlocked ones.
From the top, the ocean starts warm (because of the sun) and gets colder the deeper you go.
Ocean pressure: How does pressure change with ocean depth?
Pressure increases the deeper you go.
At sea level, the air surrounding you will press against your body at roughly 14.6959 pounds per square inch (mean value of 101,325 pascals). But because the liquid inside you pushes outward using the same force, you don’t feel it.
But if you were to dive deeper, the water would start pressing against you in ever-increasing force.
For every 10.06 meters (33ft), the pressure increases.
If you go deep enough, your body won’t be able to cope with the pressure. So to survive, a human will need a more flexible body and even more flexible organs.
This means that marine animals who live in the ocean are built differently. Whales, for example, have bendy ribs and lungs that safely collapse.
Those organisms that live in the ocean’s depths have some fascinating abilities.
