Oceans For Dummies

Dive deep to explore the ocean

From how most of our oxygen is created by phytoplankton, to how currents control our climate, to the marine food chain and the importance of coral, this is the holy grail of ocean books that’s easy for everyone to digest. 

It features fun facts about some of the most incredible, bizarre, and fascinating creatures in the ocean, from mantis shrimp that can strike things with the speed of a .22 caliber bullet to fish with clear heads that can see out of the top of their skulls. The ocean is full of wonders and there is still so much left to explore and understand.

• How our oceans work
• What creatures live in the ocean
• Find out how the ocean regulates our climate and weather patterns
• How growing pollution threatens our ocean and its inhabitants

Oceans For Dummies is perfect for anyone with an interest in the ocean, including kids, adults, students, ocean lovers, surfers, fishermen, conservationists, sailors, and everyone in between.

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 3

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 4

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: Getting Started with Your Ocean Voyage 5

Chapter 1: Brushing Up on Ocean Fundamentals 7

Taking a Nickel Tour of the Ocean(s) 8

Dividing the ocean into oceans or not 8

Recognizing the ocean zones 9

Dropping in on the different ecosystems 10

Going with the Flow: The Physical Properties of the Ocean 10

Getting up to speed on the water cycle 11

Checking out what’s at the bottom of the ocean (and below) 13

Riding waves, tides, and currents 13

Recognizing the ocean’s role in climate control and weather 14

Meeting the Ocean’s Inhabitants 14

Recognizing strength in numbers: Marine microorganisms 15

Going green with marine plants and plant-like organisms 15

Grouping the ocean’s animals 16

Exploring the Complex and Evolving Human-Ocean Relationship 17

Chapter 2: Appreciating the Ocean’s Many Gifts 19

Supplying Over Half of the World’s Oxygen 20

Playing a Key Role in Regulating Climate and Weather 20

Producing Protein for Billions of People 22

Contributing Trillions to the Global Economy 23

Serving as a Source of Mystery and Wonder 24

Stimulating our imaginations 25

Increasing our knowledge of the world around us 26

Getting in touch with our emotional connection to the sea 27

Chapter 3: Looking Back at the Ocean’s History (and Prehistory) 29

Discovering How the Ocean Got Its Start 30

The wet planet theory 30

The water delivery truck theory 31

Tracing the Evolution of Ocean Life 31

Getting the evolutionary ball rolling 32

Going cellular 32

And now for a word about metabolism 33

All together now: Multicellular organisms 34

Taking evolution to the next level in the Paleozoic era 35

Gaining momentum in the Mesozoic era 41

Increasing sophistication in the Cenozoic era 44

Taking the Earth’s Present Evolutionary Pulse 48

Looking Ahead: What’s in Store for the Ocean’s Future? 51

Part 2: Finding Your Way Around 55

Chapter 4: Mapping the Ocean by Zones 57

Dividing the Ocean into Three Horizontal Zones 58

Where land meets sea: The intertidal zone 58

Wading through the neritic zone 60

Heading out to sea: The oceanic zone 61

Exploring the Five Vertical Zones of the Water Column 62

Skimming the surface: The epipelagic zone 62

Dimming the lights in the mesopelagic zone 63

Taking a deeper, darker dive into the bathyp