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The Oceans Portal
A portal dedicated to oceans, seas, oceanography and related topics

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Introduction

Surface view of the Atlantic Ocean

The ocean is the body of salt water that covers ~70.8% of the Earth. In English, the term ocean also refers to any of the large bodies of water into which the world ocean is conventionally divided. Distinct names are used to identify five different areas of the ocean: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Antarctic/Southern, and Arctic. The ocean contains 97% of Earth's water and is the primary component of the Earth's hydrosphere, thus the ocean is essential to life on Earth. The ocean influences climate and weather patterns, the carbon cycle, and the water cycle by acting as a huge heat reservoir. ( Full article...)

Waves in Pacifica, California

A sea is a large body of salty water. There are particular seas and the sea. The sea commonly refers to the ocean, the wider body of seawater. Particular seas are either marginal seas, second-order sections of the oceanic sea (e.g. the Mediterranean Sea), or certain large, nearly landlocked bodies of water. ( Full article...)

Oceanography (from Ancient Greek ὠκεανός (ōkeanós) ' ocean', and γραφή (graphḗ) ' writing'), also known as oceanology, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; ocean currents, waves, and geophysical fluid dynamics; plate tectonics and seabed geology; and fluxes of various chemical substances and physical properties within the ocean and across its boundaries. These diverse topics reflect multiple disciplines that oceanographers utilize to glean further knowledge of the world ocean, including astronomy, biology, chemistry, geography, geology, hydrology, meteorology and physics. Paleoceanography studies the history of the oceans in the geologic past. An oceanographer is a person who studies many matters concerned with oceans, including marine geology, physics, chemistry, and biology. ( Full article...)

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A selection of sea anemones,
painted by Giacomo Merculiano, 1893

Sea anemones are a group of predatory marine invertebrates constituting the order Actiniaria. Because of their colourful appearance, they are named after the Anemone, a terrestrial flowering plant. Sea anemones are classified in the phylum Cnidaria, class Anthozoa, subclass Hexacorallia. As cnidarians, sea anemones are related to corals, jellyfish, tube-dwelling anemones, and Hydra. Unlike jellyfish, sea anemones do not have a medusa stage in their life cycle.

A typical sea anemone is a single polyp attached to a hard surface by its base, but some species live in soft sediment, and a few float near the surface of the water. The polyp has a columnar trunk topped by an oral disc with a ring of tentacles and a central mouth. The tentacles can be retracted inside the body cavity or expanded to catch passing prey. They are armed with cnidocytes (stinging cells). In many species, additional nourishment comes from a symbiotic relationship with single-celled dinoflagellates, with zooxanthellae, or with green algae, zoochlorellae, that live within the cells. Some species of sea anemone live in association with clownfish, hermit crabs, small fish, or other animals to their mutual benefit. ( Full article...)
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Interesting facts - show different entries

  • Flashes of light emitted by the sea snail Hinea brasiliana may act as a "burglar alarm".

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The following are images from various ocean-related articles on Wikipedia.

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In the news

12 March 2024 – Piracy off the coast of Somalia
About 20 armed pirates hijack a Bangladeshi bulk carrier in the Indian Ocean that was en route to the United Arab Emirates. The vessel is under the control of the pirates and is heading towards the coast of Somalia. (The National News)
11 March 2024 – Red Sea crisis
Houthi officials say that at least 17 U.S. and British airstrikes across western Yemen, including in Al Hudaydah, have killed eleven people and injured 14 others. (Reuters)
10 March 2024 –
Following a laboratory investigation, eight children and one adult in Zanzibar are found to have died of chelonitoxism after consuming sea turtle meat, a local delicacy. Another 78 people were hospitalized. (NOS)
6 March 2024 – Red Sea crisis
The Barbados-flagged bulk carrier True Confidence is hit by a Houthi ballistic missile in the Red Sea, killing three crew members and injuring six others. The vessel is subsequently abandoned. (Reuters) (CNN)
5 March 2024 – Russian invasion of Ukraine
The Russian Navy patrol ship Sergey Kotov is sunk in the Black Sea after being struck by Ukrainian MAGURA V5 naval drones. (The Guardian)

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