Ahoy, young explorers! Did you know that the 8 June is the day for a fin-tastic celebration? You guessed it - today is World Ocean Day!

Every year, people around the globe come together to celebrate the beauty and importance of the oceans that cover more than 70% of our planet. At eatsleepdoodle, we’re big fans of all things marine, and can’t wait to celebrate our amazing oceans and the incredible creatures that call them home!

So, in celebration of World Ocean Day and to spread the word about the wonders of the sea, we’ve gathered some splash-tacular ocean facts just for you! Whether you're a curious cuttlefish or a budding biologist, we hope you learn something new.

Grab your snorkels and let's dive into the amazing world of the deep blue! 🌊

1. Ocean vs. Sea?

 With all the mention of oceans and seas, you might be wondering… what is the difference? Whilst the two terms are often used interchangeably, they do actually mean different things!
 
A ‘sea’ is the geographical term for a smaller part of the ocean that is partly enclosed by land. Simply put, a sea is usually the area of the ocean where it meets the land (the only exception to this is the Sargasso Sea.)
 
To make things more complicated, there is actually only one ocean, the body of water covering a (whopping) 71% of our worlds surface. Due to various historical, cultural, geographical, and scientific reasons this ‘world ocean’ is split into the sections we know as the named oceans – the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic and Southern (Antarctic).

2. The DEEP blue…

Not only does the ocean cover 71% of the earth’s surface, but it also stretches down very deep, too. On average, the ocean is approximately 3,682 meters (12,080 feet) deep – this is the same as almost 4 ½ of the world’s tallest building (the Burj Khalifa in Dubai) stacked on top of each other!

What’s more, the deepest part of the ocean, a point known as the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, is a staggering 10,935 meters (35,876 feet) deep. This is over 2000m further than the whole of Mt. Everest turned upside down, and equivalent to the height of approximately 13 Burj Khalifa’s!
 

3. Life in the deep

From the surface to the seafloor, the ocean is teeming with marine life! Due to the oceans immense depth, scientists split it into different layers based on the environmental factors of each area - these areas are known as the 5 major life zones, containing organisms of various forms!

Zone 1 – the epipelagic-zone (aka. the sunlit zone): this is the upper zone of the ocean, ranging from the surface to approximately 200 metres deep. The main notable factor in this layer of the ocean is the presence of sunlight which allows for photosynthesis to occur in plants, algae, and other organisms such as phytoplankton, which makes up the basis of the ocean food chain.

BONUS FACT: Phytoplankton are estimated to produce 50% of the worlds oxygen!

Due to the presence of light and warmer sea temperatures, it is no surprise that around 90% of the ocean’s creatures reside primarily in the epipelagic zone, including favourites like dolphins, tuna, jellyfish, sea turtles, seals and stingrays.

Zone 2 – the mesopelagic-zone: this area of the ocean ranges from approximately 200-1000 metres deep and is also known as the ‘twilight zone’ due to the dim conditions. Due to this low light level, plants are unable to grow. This area is home to many species of fish that are usually small and often luminous, for example, the lantern fish! Large animals from the epipelagic zone, for example, tuna and blue whales, often dive to this layer of the ocean to feed.

Other creatures, for example the sperm whale, prefer to live primarily in this zone, and often dive deeper into zone three for their food…

Zone 3 – the bathypelagic-zone (aka. the midnight zone): spanning from 1000-4000 metres deep, this area of the ocean is completely void of sunlight, existing in complete darkness. This zone is home to some strange looking creatures, including the famous blobfish. It is also home to the reason why sperm whales descend to this zone – the giant squid!

Zone 4 – the abyssopelagic-zone: this zone, known commonly as ‘the abyss’, extends from 4000-6000 metres, reaching the seafloor. Due to cold temperatures of around 2 degrees Celsius and the extreme pressure (up to 11,000 pounds per square inch!), few organisms can survive in this hostile zone. As a result, creatures that do live in this zone have some very interesting adaptations, such as hinged jaws (like the anglerfish) that drag along the floor to catch food, or bioluminescence, used to attract prey!

Zone 5 - the hadalpelagic-zone (aka. the trenches): the zone refers to areas of the ocean deeper than 6000 metres, in deep sea trenches. These are deep indents in the sea floor that result from tectonic activity and reach depths up to 10,935 meters (remember the Mariana Trench?). Very few creatures reside in these zones, but the few that do include bacteria, small isopods, and invertebrates such as sea cucumbers!
 

4. Coral is cool!

Did you know that corals are animals? With their hard exterior, you can be forgiven for assuming that corals are made from rock or bark, however they are in fact animals with plant-like cells living in them. The skeletons of tiny animals called polyps harden, which then gives home to living polyps. When these polyps die, they harden, and more move in, forming coral reefs over thousands of years! These small polyps that group to make coral reefs even have mouths and stomachs. And like their jellyfish cousins, corals have stinging cells in their tentacles that they used to spear and eat plankton and fish!

BONUS FACT: Did you know that a quarter of all marine species live in coral reefs? Whilst coral reefs make up less than 1% of the ocean, they are the habitat of over 25% of marine life, supporting over 4000 different species of fish!
 

5. Underwater mountains...

Whilst we often think of mountain ranges as being above sea level, the world’s longest mountain range is actually underwater!

On land, the Andes mountain range is about 4,300 miles long, however the underwater Mid-Oceanic Ridge mountain range is 10x longer at around 40,390 miles long!

Ocean animal facts:

How can we share ocean facts without sharing some facts about the incredible animals that call it home? As avid ocean fans, each member of the team at eatsleepdoodle HQ have picked an ocean creature to share a fact about! Let’s take a dive into the animals and facts they have picked...

Niki - Beluga whales are known as the 'canaries of the sea' due to the wide array of noises they can make. They can often be heard squeaking and squealing, and can even mimic human speech!

Ildiko - Sharks are quite famous for their teeth, but did you know that they can lose more than 30,000 teeth during their life? Whereas humans have 32 teeth to last a lifetime, sharks have multiple rows of teeth that quickly replace any that are lost!

Jess - Some species of whales use bubbles to catch their prey! They work together with other whales to create 'nets' of bubbles. Fish won't swim through these 'nets' allowing the whales to feed on the trapped shoals.

Katie - Manatees, and their close relation the Dugong, are thought to be the inspiration behind the myth and legends of mermaids due to the shape of their body and tail. Also, despite seeming most similar to sea mammals like dolphins or whales, manatees are most closely related to elephants!

Alan - Jellyfish are believed to be older than the dinosaurs and are thought to have been on our planet for over 600 million years!

Unfortunately, it’s not all smooth sailing for our seas - pollution is a big problem, and it’s currently causing waves of trouble for marine life. From plastic waste to oil spills, our ocean friends need our help to keep their home clean and safe. Plastic pollution is one of the biggest threats, with millions of tons of plastic ending up in the ocean each year, which can harm fish, birds and other wildlife. Overfishing and climate change are also putting a strain on marine ecosystems, making it more important than ever to take action! 

As a brand with a core value of sustainability, we're passionate about protecting our blue planet and all its inhabitants. Our commitment to sustainability means we're always looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment and help preserve our oceans for future generations, for example, our current mission to transition all our products into plastic free packaging as soon as possible. You can read more about our current efforts, and some ways you can be more sustainable here!

We have loved every minute of researching this blog and diving deep into all these fascinating ocean facts. We hope you've enjoyed celebrating World Ocean Day with us and that you have learned something new! To keep the fun going, check out our world map collection which is full of interesting sea creatures to colour in and discover. View the range here!

And if you’re looking for even more underwater fun, keep an eye out for exciting new products coming very soon...

Don’t forget you can get in touch with us on social media and share your adventures and colouring creations by using #eatsleepdoodle – we always love to see what you’re up to! You can also tag us on Instagram (@eatsleepdoodle_), Facebook (@eatsleepdoodlehq) and TikTok (@eatsleepdoodle_).