oceanos

Oceanos refers to the global, interconnected system of Earth's saltwater oceans. It encompasses five major basins: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic. Together they cover about 71 percent of the planet's surface and contain around 97 percent of its liquid water. The average depth is approximately 3,700 meters, with the deepest point in the Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench at about 11,000 meters. The ocean is stratified by salinity, temperature, and density, creating layers such as the photic zone (where light penetrates) that reaches about 200 meters, and deeper twilight and dark zones.

Ocean currents distribute heat around the globe, driving climate and weather. Large gyres, upwelling regions, and the global thermohaline circulation transport energy and nutrients between coasts and depths. The seafloor features continents and ocean basins, including mid-ocean ridges, abyssal plains, trenches, and seamounts.

Biodiversity in the ocean is vast, with habitats ranging from coral reefs and kelp forests to the deep sea. Organisms have adapted to extreme pressure, low temperatures, and scarce food, and many ecosystems provide services such as food, coastal protection, and carbon storage.

Human activity depends on the ocean for transport, food, energy, and minerals. It is also threatened by overfishing, plastic pollution, chemical runoff, ocean warming, and acidification, all of which affect marine life and climate patterns. Management approaches include national jurisdictions within exclusive economic zones and international law, marine protected areas, and scientific monitoring to conserve resources and sustain ecosystem services.