WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TODAY: The Difference Between Sea And Ocean

The Earth’s surface is largely covered by two enormous saltwater bodies: the ocean and the sea. Despite their similarities, they can be distinguished from one another by two major distinctions.

1. Dimension and depth.

Oceans and seas differ significantly in terms of size and depth. Seas pale in comparison to oceans in size and depth. Oceans are the world’s largest bodies of water and are. connected, including the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic Oceans. They have an average depth of around 12,080 feet (3,682 meters) and cover roughly 71% of the planet’s surface.

On the other hand, seas are often smaller than oceans because they are partially surrounded by land. The Mediterranean Sea, Caribbean Sea, and Red Sea are a few examples. The depths of seas, which range from a few hundred to a few thousand feet, are shallower than those of oceans.

2. Salinity and ecosystems.

Salinity and the variety of organisms they support are two more distinctions between oceans and seas. In general, oceans are more salinized than seas. Evaporation, precipitation, and freshwater intake from rivers all have an impact on how salty the oceans are.

Because of their size and the limited interchange of water they have with other bodies of water, oceans maintain a more consistent salinity level. Seas, on the other hand, can differ in salinity since they are frequently more influenced by freshwater inflows and are largely surrounded by land.

Due to the mixing of various water types and the availability of nutrients, seas may support a greater variety of marine life and have more diverse ecosystems.