locéan

Locéan is a fictional term used in science fiction and fantasy to describe a large-scale oceanic system that interlinks continents and shapes planetary climate in imagined worlds. Unlike Earth's ocean, locéan appears as either a single all-encompassing sea or a set of interconnected seas whose boundaries are negotiable within a given narrative. The term is not tied to a single canonical setting and is used across multiple works to support diverse world-building goals.

Etymology and usage: The name locéan blends the French l'océan with a stylized form suggesting locality or locus. It is commonly written with lowercase letters but may appear as Locéan in title case.

Geography and geology: In depictions, locéan can surround large landmasses or fill basins between them, with currents that operate on planetary scales. Surface gyres, deep-sea trenches, and subaqueous canyons shape circulation and nutrient flow. Some versions include immense weather systems driven by sea-surface heat exchange, while others emphasize modular sea basins separated by shallow archipelagos.

Ecology and resources: The locéan supports diverse biota, including bioluminescent plankton, reef-like structures at varying depths, and migratory megafauna. Its productivity often drives climate regulation within the fictional world and provides materials for inhabitants, sometimes prompting disputes over rights and access.

In fiction and scholarship: Locéan is used as a flexible world-building device to explore themes of climate engineering, maritime culture, and environmental governance. It also serves as a hypothetical model in planetary hydrology discussions about how oceans influence weather, carbon cycles, and biodiversity.

See also: Ocean, Oceanography, Bioluminescence, Worldbuilding.