The Oceans Portal
A portal dedicated to oceans, seas, oceanography and related topics
– Hover over image and scroll to middle for controls to see more selected panorama images –
Introduction
Earth's ocean |
---|
Main five oceans division: Further subdivision: Marginal seas |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e0/Clouds_over_the_Atlantic_Ocean.jpg/220px-Clouds_over_the_Atlantic_Ocean.jpg)
The ocean is the body of salt water that covers approx. 70.8% of Earth. In English, the term ocean also refers to any of the large bodies of water into which the world ocean is conventionally divided. The following names describe 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 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...)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/45/Waves_in_pacifica_1.jpg/220px-Waves_in_pacifica_1.jpg)
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...)
Selected article -
The Norwegian Sea (Norwegian: Norskehavet; Icelandic: Noregshaf; Faroese: Norskahavið) is a marginal sea, grouped with either the Atlantic Ocean or the Arctic Ocean, northwest of Norway between the North Sea and the Greenland Sea, adjoining the Barents Sea to the northeast. In the southwest, it is separated from the Atlantic Ocean by a submarine ridge running between Iceland and the Faroe Islands. To the north, the Jan Mayen Ridge separates it from the Greenland Sea.
Unlike many other seas, most of the bottom of the Norwegian Sea is not part of a continental shelf and therefore lies at a great depth of about two kilometres on average. Rich deposits of oil and natural gas are found under the sea bottom and are being explored commercially, in the areas with sea depths of up to about one kilometre. The coastal zones are rich in fish that visit the Norwegian Sea from the North Atlantic or Barents Sea (cod) for spawning. The warm North Atlantic Current ensures relatively stable and high water temperatures, so that unlike the Arctic seas, the Norwegian Sea is ice-free throughout the year. Recent research has concluded that the large volume of water in the Norwegian Sea with its large heat absorption capacity is more important as a source of Norway's mild winters than the Gulf Stream and its extensions. (Full article...)Interesting facts -
- Croatian oceanographer Mira Zore-Armanda had difficulty gaining passage on research vessels because she was a woman.
- The Swedish American Line was the first transatlantic shipping company to operate a diesel-engined ocean liner.
- American actress Susan Oliver, after surviving a plane crash that almost ended her life, became the first woman to fly a single-engined aircraft solo from New York City across the Atlantic Ocean.
Selected list articles and Marine habitat topics
Marine habitats |
---|
Coastal habitats |
Ocean surface |
Open ocean |
Sea floor |
- List of oceans
- List of ancient oceans
- List of seas
- List of circumnavigations
- List of cruise lines
- List of largest lakes and seas in the Solar System
- List of marine biologists
- List of marine ecoregions
- List of maritime explorers
- List of naval battles
- List of ocean liners
- List of oceanographic institutions and programs
- List of oldest surviving ships
- List of rogue waves
- List of seafood dishes
- List of submarine topographical features
Tasks
![]() |
Here are some tasks awaiting attention:
|
General images -
Related portals
In the news
- 23 June 2024 – Red Sea crisis
- The Houthis claim to have carried out a joint military operation with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq to target four vessels in the Port of Haifa, Israel. (Al Jazeera)
- 20 June 2024 –
- A cruise ship rescues 68 migrants and finds five bodies in a wooden dinghy that was drifting off the Canary Islands, Spain. (ABC News)
- 18 June 2024 – Red Sea crisis
- Attacks on the MV Tutor
- The Liberia-flagged MV Tutor sinks in the Red Sea six days after being attacked by a Houthi unmanned surface vessel and missile. (AP)
- 14 June 2024 – Red Sea crisis
- The United States military launches attacks on and destroys seven Houthi radar stations in Yemen in retaliation after a merchant sailor went missing following Houthi strikes on ships in the Red Sea. (The Seattle Times)
WikiProjects
Topics
Categories
Associated Wikimedia
The following Wikimedia Foundation sister projects provide more on this subject:
-
Commons
Free media repository -
Wikibooks
Free textbooks and manuals -
Wikidata
Free knowledge base -
Wikinews
Free-content news -
Wikiquote
Collection of quotations -
Wikisource
Free-content library -
Wikiversity
Free learning tools -
Wiktionary
Dictionary and thesaurus
Admiralty law
Admiralty law |
---|
![]() |
History |
Features |
Contract of carriage/Charterparty |
Parties |
Judiciaries |
International conventions |
International organizations |
Need assistance?
![Need assistance?](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Nuvola_apps_filetypes.svg/36px-Nuvola_apps_filetypes.svg.png)
Do you have a question about oceans, seas or oceanography that you can't find the answer to? Consider asking it at the Wikipedia reference desk.
External media
![External media](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Icon_External_Link.svg/37px-Icon_External_Link.svg.png)
- World Ocean Database and World Ocean Atlas Series – from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Information, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Includes the World Ocean Atlas.
- European Atlas of the Seas – the European Atlas of the Seas, from the European Commission
- NOAA Research – NOAA research news, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)
- Ocean Research – from The World Ocean Observatory
- Ocean Biodiversity Information System – "a global open-access data and information clearing-house on marine biodiversity for science, conservation and sustainable development"