Ocean Creatures
The largest animal on Earth (and in the ocean)
What is a blue whale?
An ecosystem filled with polyps, fish, and an abundance of marine life
What is a coral reef?
The scientific study of the ocean
What is oceanography?
The largest ocean on Earth
What is the Pacific Ocean?
These green plants float near the surface and make food from sunlight
What is phytoplankton?
An ocean animal that can camouflage into its surroundings
What is an octopus?
An ocean zone near the shore with lots of sunlight
What is the coastal zone?
The movement of ocean water in a steady flow
What is a current?
The ocean between Africa and Australia
What is the Indian Ocean?
This orange-brown seaweed can grow very large and forms forests underwater for animals to live in
What is kelp?
A cephalopod that has the largest eyes of any animal on Earth
What is a giant squid?
The deepest known point in the Earth's oceans
What is the Mariana Trench?
The saltiness of ocean water is measured as this
What is salinity?
The ocean surrounding Antarctica
What is the Southern Ocean?
Tiny animals that drift in the ocean and are eaten by bigger animals are called this
What is zooplankton?
An echinoderm that lives on the ocean floor
The ocean floor is also called this
What is the benthic zone?
The ocean covers about this fraction of the Earth's surface
What is about 70%?
This sea is known for being very salty and has no outlet
What is the Red Sea?
Many ocean animals eat this plant, including manatees, sea urchins, and some fish
What is seagrass?
A crustacean that collects food from hydrothermal vents
What is a yeti crab?
A habitat where ocean water meets saltwater
What is an estuary?
This boundary layer separates warmer surface water from colder deep water in the ocean
What is the thermocline?
This sea is shrinking due to water diversion and is considered an environmental disaster
What is the Aral Sea?
This plant-like organism can cover rocks and reefs and is important for coral health
What is coralline algae?