We are only now beginning to understand how essential the oceans are for us. Watch this short but amazing BBC video and find out what really stands behind the name of "the Blue Planet".
Almost three quarters of the earth’s surface is covered in water and
around 90% of all the living space on Earth is contained in the oceans.
These
vast reserves cradled early life and continue to be home to a wealth of
extraordinary creatures. At least 230,000 unique species have been
documented, although as humans have only explored a small fraction of
the depths, there may be as many as two million.
As well as being
home to everything from whelks to whale sharks, the oceans offer a range
of critical services, including acting as a source of food and
regulating the atmosphere.
In particular, the oceans are also
vital as sponges for green house gases, taking carbon dioxide out of the
atmosphere through two processes - dissolving straight into the water
column and also through photosynthesis by phytoplankton.
Today, the oceans soak up around one third of all of human carbon emissions.
But
this comes at a terrible cost. The composition of the oceans is
changing to become more acidic, threatening the tremendous diversity of
creatures that call them home.
For source go here.
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