Oceans | Introduction
Introduction
If you were to look down at Earth from space you would see a planet that was covered in blue. That is because oceans cover almost three-quarters of the Earth's surface and contain about 97 percent of the planet's water supply. Life on Earth began in the ocean almost three-and-a-half million years ago and life could not exist without a healthy ocean environment. Today, the oceans are home to an incredibly variety of creatures, from the largest animal that ever lived, the blue whale, to microscopic organisms that can live in boiling waters.
People depend on the oceans in many ways. Oceans have an important effect on weather patterns. They are essential for transportation, for both economic and military purposes. Many people throughout the world rely on the ocean for food and their livelihood. People also use the oil and minerals that come from beneath the ocean floor.
The first voyage planned specifically to study the oceans was a British expedition that set out in 1872. In the twentieth century, interest in the oceans grew enormously. A new field evolved for oceanographersA person who studies the chemistry of the oceans, as well as their currents, marine life, and the ocean floor. or people who study the ocean. Technological development allowed oceanographers to travel further and longer into the ocean depths. The discovery of previously unknown species and minerals in the ocean sparked further excitement and, today, the ocean is considered the last unexplored frontier.