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71 percent of earths surface is covered with ocean o covers 360 million square kilometers less than 10 percent of the ocean have been studied o due to safety issues no more than one percent of the deep ocean floor have been studied marine animals are more diverse than land animals phyla = most general taxonomic grouping o 33 anima phyla 15 residents of the ocean 16 land or freshwater 1 terrestrial half million terrestrial species = insects and vascular plants terrestrial species ~ five million to more than fifty million oceanic species = 250,000 species have been identified o estimated 400,000 to 450,000 o posit that one million to ten million benthic species to be described saltwater plants = grow fast and die young trees lives to a ripe old age seawater ~ 800 times as dense as air and more viscous water absorbs light differently than air o shorter wavelengths ocean contains less plant life than land due to less nutrients water temperature determines the amount of nutrients in water o cold water = more nutrients o warm water = less nutrients bottom and surface of the water contains most of the oxygen water pressure = 1,100 atmosphere (1,100 heavier than air) diversities of species are high, but population for each is low deep sea creatures: o small o glows in the dark o large eyes o slow mid-water fish: usually black crustaceans: usually red species in intertidal zones deals with: o dryness, brightness, changes in temperature, waves, weather pattern, seasonal variations Intertidal zone species have hard shells and grips to rocks or hides in crevices Kelp beds prefer colder water o 90% gets consumed by herbivores or washes onto shore Coral reefs: most are located near tropics due to warmer weather o Requires no more than thirty meters for sunlight to reach their zooxanthellae o Clear water

Water covers 71 percent of the earths surface, but only less than ten percent of the ocean have been studied. Even though people estimated that there are five million to more than fifty million of the species are terrestrial, marine animals are still more diverse than animals, but the population size of each species is less than land animals. The ocean is very vast; therefore only 250,000 species have been identified. Scientists did estimate that there are 400,000 to 450,000 species that inhabits the ocean. Terrestrial species are only about five million to fifty million species. They have less species in terrestrial biomes, but the populations of each species are more than ones in aquatic biomes. I think there is so much more to the ocean. There is a possibility that there are other intelligent life forms that inhabits the ocean floor, but has not been discovered by humans yet because no more than one percent of the ocean floor has been discovered. Humans do not have the abilities to travel that far and deep into the ocean yet, but hopefully one day we do so we can understand more about what we do not know much about. And once we know more, we can help our planet more.