Fun facts to know

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is the second largest reef of the world. It is also known as Belize Barrier Reef. This reef protects the coastal inhabitants from violent storms occurring in the ocean. The protective barrier of the reef is supported by a large area of mangrove that lines the coral coast. It is home […]

The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living structure built by animals. It is located on the north-east coast of Australia. It contains about 600 types of soft and hard corals, more than 1000 species of jellyfish, more than 4000 types of mollusc (snails, slugs and octopuses), and more than 30 species of whales

The coral growth in the ocean is divided into different zones: Reef Flat Zone: It is the part where coral grows near the surface of the ocean. It’s a habitat for animals like sea urchins and sea turtles. Reef Crest: It lies between reef flat and fore reef zone. It is found away from the

Coral reefs can classified on the basis of their growth pattern. ♦ Fringing reefs are attached to the land and form a coral platform which extends into the ocean. ♦ Barrier reef is not attached to the land but it rises from the ocean and is separated from the land by a section of water

Coral animals are called polyps. Coral is the skeleton of these polyps which have hard and protective limestone skeletons at their base which is called calicle Polyps have many small tentacle like arms. Corals develop near the surface of the water as they require sunlight. They mostly feed on algal by-products but during night, these

Coral reefs are underwater multicoloured limestone ridges made up of tiny sea animals called corals. Their hard outer skeletons (exoskeletons) are what make coral reefs. Coral reef ecosystems are diverse and comprise numerous species of sea creatures. They grow slowly at the rate of only a few centimetres each year. Some coral reefs that have

The ocean floor has many interesting physical features. The crust of the ocean floor is made up of a thin layer called basalt, a type of volcanic rock. The main features of the ocean floor are: ♦ Continental Shelf ♦ Continental Slope ♦ Ocean Bed and Continental Rise ♦ Trench Ocean Trench is the area

Oceans are home to a variety of reptiles, which are invertebrates. Marine reptiles are found mainly in oceans in tropical and subtropical zones. Most of these reptiles are ferocious hunters and hunt upon squid, fish and shellfish. They have scaly skins, sharp teeth, big eyes for farsightedness, flippers or paddles to swim, four limbs and

Whales and dolphins are well-known ocean animals. Whales are found in all the major oceans of the world, from the Arctic and Antarctic oceans to the oceans and seas around the centre of the equator. Whales and dolphins frequently come on the ocean surface for air, because they breathe through lungs. They are categorised under

Sharks are the huge group of ferocious fish found in both cold and warm waters. They live at a depth of 2,000 m or below in the oceans. A shark typically has a tough skin that is dull grey in colour and is roughened by tooth-like scales. It has a cartilaginous skeleton. In general, sharks

A permanent or continuous movement of ocean water which is circular in nature is called an ocean current. Ocean currents form close to the surface of the ocean and the speed of their rotation is 3.2 to 6.5 km per hour. These currents affect the temperature of the air near its surface and this, in

Ocean: An ocean is a large expanse of sea that covers more than 75% of the entire Earth’s surface. This vastness gives a blue appearance to our planet when viewed from space. The ocean bed is composed of sand, gravel, mud and sediments. The average salinity of an ocean is 3.49% of the weight of