The Pacific Ocean :
1. Covering an area twice the size of the Atlantic, the Pacific is the largest ocean by far. It covers about one-third of the world. At its widest point the Pacific is about
11,000 miles.
2. The Pacific is also the deepest of the oceans, averaging a depth of 13,800 feet.
The deepest point in the Pacific, as well as on the Earth, is the Mariana Trench, measuring 35,827 feet deep.
3. The bed of the Pacific is covered in small black lumps called manganese nodules.
The nodules contain other materials, such as copper, nickel, cobalt, and iron, but the main ingredient is manganese, which is used to make paints, batteries and steel. Special ships, called dredgers, are used to suck the nodules up from the sea floor.
The Atlantic Ocean :
1. The world’s second largest ocean. It covers about one-fifth of the Earth’s surface.
At its widest point it measures 5,965 miles. The average depth of the Atlantic is
12,000 feet, with its deepest measuring 28,374 feet. The Equator splits the
Atlantic into North and South areas.
2. One of the busiest areas for shipping, but it also has high winds, waves, fog, and icebergs, which make conditions hazardous for ships. It is the site of the sunken
Titanic.
The Indian Ocean :
1. The third largest of the world’s oceans. It averages a depth of 12,762 feet, with its deepest point measuring 24,441 feet.
2. The Indian Ocean has a distinguishing current pattern. While the currents in the other oceans follow the same path each year, they change twice a year in the northern Indian Ocean. They flow toward Africa in the winter, and India in the summer.
3. The Indian Ocean contains the saltiest sea, the Red Sea, and the warmest sea, the
Persian Gulf.
4. Home to flying fish, sunfish, marlin, tuna, and dugongs (large, rare sea mammals).
The Arctic Ocean :
1. The smallest and shallowest ocean. Its average depth is only 4,265 feet with a maximum depth of 17,880 feet.
2. The Arctic is the only ocean to be almost entirely surrounded by land—Europe,
Asia, Greenland, and North America.
3. For most of the year and especially during the winter, the Arctic is covered by a thick sheet of ice.
4. Home to walruses, polar bears, Arctic terns (bird), Beluga whales, and Narwhals.
From The Ocean Atlas by Anita Ganeri and Ocean by Miranda MacQuitty.

The Antarctic Ocean :
1. The fourth largest of the world’s oceans. In the winter, more than half the
Antarctic is covered in ice.
2. Home to krill; seals; whales—blue (largest animals alive today, weighing up to
132 tons), humpback, sperm, killer; penguins—Adelie, Emperor, King.
The Ocean Zones :
1. Sunlit Zone (0-660 feet): plenty of light, much water movement, seasonal changes in temperature. a. Flying fish, man-of-war, shark, mackerel, turtle, oarweed, brain coral
2. Twilight Zone (660-3,300 feet): the maximum depth to which light penetrates, temperatures decrease rapidly to 41 F. a. Octopus, hatchet fish, sperm whale, sponges, sea pens
3. Dark Zone (3,300-13,200 feet): there is no light and temperatures drop to about
34-36 F. a. Rat-tail fish, anglerfish, gulper eel, sea spider, sea cucumbers
4. Abyss (13,200-19,800 feet) a. Brittle star, tripod fish, flower-basket sponge
5. Trench (19,800 feet and below)
From The Ocean Atlas by Anita Ganeri and Ocean by Miranda MacQuitty.