Ocean Facts for Kids
Deep-sea facts and ocean wonders
The Mariana snailfish lives at depths of over 8,000 metres, making it the deepest-living fish ever recorded. It looks like a tiny, pale tadpole.
Jellyfish are about 95% water, which means if one washes up on the beach it will nearly disappear as it dries out.
Scientists have found microplastics in virtually every ocean water sample ever tested, from the surface all the way down to the deepest trenches.
Blue whales are the loudest animals on Earth. Their calls can reach 188 decibels, louder than a jet engine, and can be heard by other whales hundreds of kilometres away.
We have better maps of the Moon and Mars than we do of the ocean floor. Only about 25% of the seabed has been mapped in detail.
Humpback whales blow circles of bubbles to trap fish in a 'bubble net' before gulping them all up at once.
The ocean's midnight zone, from 1,000 to 4,000 metres deep, is in complete darkness. Yet it is home to thousands of species that have adapted to life without sunlight.
If a starfish loses an arm, it can grow a brand-new one! Some species can even regrow an entire body from a single arm.
Tiny ocean plants called phytoplankton are responsible for producing roughly 50–80% of the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere, far more than all the world's forests combined.
Sea otters hold hands while they sleep so they don't drift apart from each other.