Oceans and Marine Ecosystems
Oceans cover over 70 percent of Earth and contain diverse ecosystems from coral reefs to the deep sea.
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Play with the controls to see the idea in action.
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Oceans cover over 70 percent of Earth and contain diverse ecosystems from coral reefs to the deep sea.
- Plankton form the base of food chains
- Coral reefs support much marine life
- Oceans store heat and carbon
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is Oceans and Marine Ecosystems?
Within Earth & Environmental Science, which covers our planet, its resources and ecosystems, and how people can protect the environment, this topic explains Oceans and Marine Ecosystems. Earth and environment topics show how the planet’s systems shape landscapes, climate and life, with models that make these processes visible.
Check that you can explain Oceans and Marine Ecosystems in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding Oceans and Marine Ecosystems helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
Oceans and Marine Ecosystems in detail
Oceans cover about 71% of Earth's surface and hold 97% of its water. They regulate climate by absorbing heat and carbon dioxide, produce about half of the oxygen we breathe, from phytoplankton, and provide food, transport and resources.
Marine ecosystems range from sunlit surface waters and coral reefs to deep trenches, with zones by depth. Food webs are based on microscopic phytoplankton. Threats include overfishing, pollution, plastic, warming and acidification, which damage life. Marine protected areas and sustainable fishing help conservation. The oceans are still largely unexplored.
How the interactive helps you understand Oceans and Marine Ecosystems
Watch the population model in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the population model responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Oceans and Marine Ecosystems.
Real-life uses and examples
- Explain how Oceans and Marine Ecosystems affects the landscape or climate near you.
- Link Oceans and Marine Ecosystems to a real environmental problem and a possible solution.
- Use a diagram of Oceans and Marine Ecosystems to describe the steps of a process in order.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing a process without the timescale it works over.
- Presenting one cause as the only cause of an environmental change.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about Oceans and Marine Ecosystems
What is Oceans and Marine Ecosystems?
Oceans cover over 70 percent of Earth and contain diverse ecosystems from coral reefs to the deep sea.
What are the most important points about Oceans and Marine Ecosystems?
The main points are: Plankton form the base of food chains; Coral reefs support much marine life; Oceans store heat and carbon.
Why is Oceans and Marine Ecosystems useful?
Understanding Oceans and Marine Ecosystems helps you explain the environment around you and weigh up how people can protect it.
How can I practise Oceans and Marine Ecosystems?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to Oceans and Marine Ecosystems?
Related topics in Earth & Environmental Science include Water Pollution, Food Webs and Energy Flow, Endangered Species and Conservation.