Mighty Water Week: Day #4

Greetings everybody, hope your loving mighty water week as much as we are. Today we're going to talk about the two remaining oceans. Enjoy!

Atlantic Ocean

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Atlantic Ocean is the 2nd largest ocean on Earth, smaller and shallower than the Pacific Ocean. It covers 21% of the Earth's surface. It is bounded by the north and south America to west Europe and Africa to the east. Atlantic refers to Atlas of Greek mythology, making the Atlantic the "Sea of Atlas". 

African Manatee (Trichechus senegalensis), also known as a sea cow 

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Conservation Status: Vulnerable 

Habitat: Coastal waters and rivers of the Atlantic Ocean 

Despite their colossal bulk and cow-like appearance, they are excellently adapted to their aquatic habitat, with a stream-lined, spindle-shaped body and a tail flattened horizontally like a spatula  they are agile swimmers. Sea cow's are mostly herbivores but eat calms, mollusks and fish.

Atlantic Ghost Crab (Ocypode quadrat)

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Conservation Status: Not yet assessed 
Habitat: Sandy shores of the Atlantic Ocean 

The name "ghost crab" derives from the animals' nocturnality and their pale complexion. Ghost crabs are both predators and scavengers and they feed at night and tend to feed on bean clams, mole crabs, and hatch-lings of loggerhead turtles. In its ecosystem the ghost crab has an important role as a top predator. 

Atlantic lobster (Homarus americanus) also known as the American lobster and king of seafood
Conservation Status: Not yet assessed
Habitat: intertidal areas of the Atlantic Ocean 

These enigmatic creatures can regenerate certain limbs when damaged and engage in long migrations that can last several weeks. They are nocturnal scavengers that eat slow moving invertebrates and detritus on the sea floor. Atlantic lobsters can usually reach about two feet in length by moulting three-four times a year. During this time the lobster is delicate and vulnerable so it seeks a safe spot to hide. Although it can take up to several months for the shell to harden fully the lobster only takes shelter for a few days. 

Pacific Ocean

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Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on earth covering more than 30% of the earth's surface.It is larger than all of the land on earth combined, and covers 46% of the Earth's water surface. It is bounded by America, Asia and Australia. 

Image Source. 75% of the volcanoes on earth are located in the Pacific Ocean Basin

Derived from the Latin word "pace" Pacific means "peace". In 1521 a Portuguese explorer named Ferdinand Magellan in called the Pacific Ocean waters "mar pacifico" which means peaceful sea and hence originated the name Pacific Ocean. Most of the islands of the world are found in the pacific ocean, 25,000 islands to be precise.

Pacific Sea Nettle (Chrysaora fuscescens) also known as the west coast sea nettle

 

Conservation Status: Not yet assessed 

Habitat: Coastal waters of the East Pacific  

They possess a golden brown bell and pale oral arms and dark red color tentacles. They catch their prey by expanding their tentacles like a large net which is able to attain food as it passes by. However larval and juvenile cancer crabs may attach itself on the sea nettle's mouth-arms, getting off as the jelly comes inshore.

Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) also known as the green turtle or pacific green turtle

Conservation Status: Endangered

Habitat: Tropical and subtropical seas in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans

Much like other turtles, green sea turtles migrate long distances between feeding grounds and hatching beaches. Mating occurs every two to four years. Females dig a pit in the sand and fill with a clutch of 100 to 200eggs, conceal the pit and return to the sea. Green turtles are among the largest sea turtles in the world. 

 

Pacific white-sided dolphin (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens)

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Habitat: Cool and temperate waters of North Pacific Ocean  

These energetic dolphins are strong fast swimmers and while looking pretty. Their backs are black and their sides are pale. They feed on quid and small fishes and can grow to about 8 feet in length. 

While there are hundreds of thousands of known marine life forms, we only chosen a selective number of life forms from each ocean. Additionally there are still many that are yet to be discovered, let's just say we know more about space than we do about the sea.  

We hope you had a good time reading about the oceans, do come back for our final post for mighty water week and of course another segment of Friday facts tomorrow.

 

BioBunch.

Over and out.