Kids ask a lot of questions about the ocean. Here are the answers to some of them.
Why is the ocean salty? Rivers carry tiny amounts of salt from rocks into the sea. The sun heats the water, and some of it goes up into the air, but the salt stays behind. After millions of years, the ocean became very salty.
Why isn't river water salty too? Rivers keep moving. They take the salt with them to the sea, and rain brings them new fresh water.
How deep is the ocean? In most places, it is about four kilometers deep. How deep is the deepest place? The Mariana Trench is almost eleven kilometers deep — deeper than Mount Everest is tall!
Who lives in the deep ocean? Many strange animals. How do they see in the dark? Some of them make their own light, because the sunlight never reaches the bottom.
Where is the biggest ocean? The Pacific Ocean is the biggest. It covers about one third of the Earth.
When did people first reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench? In 1960. Who were they? Two explorers, Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh. The trip down took almost five hours.
What can we do to protect the ocean? Use less plastic, never leave trash on the beach, and teach your friends about the sea.