SALTWATESALTWATER R

ECOSYSTEECOSYSTEMSMS

Oceans cover much of the Earth’s surface.

Around ¾ (or 75%) of the Earth is water!

Ocean water contains SALT.

The ocean is shallow along the shore.

Clams, crabs, kelp, fish, and coral live there.

Otters, seals, and sea birds swim and dive for fish.

The open ocean gets very deep, but most life is in the top 200 meters of water.

The deep ocean is dark and cold, and it has little food. Few animals live there.

Many rivers flow

into the ocean.

Fresh water from rivers can mix with salt water from the ocean.

Salt marshes can form in these areas.

Salt marshes are wetlands that contain

special plants and animals.

These living things are able to live in salty water and soil.

Salt marshes also contain tiny living animals that are too small to see with your eye.

Longest animal

Blue whale (33 meters long!)

Longest fish

Whale shark (12 meters long!)

Fastest

ocean anima

l

108 km/hr

The Great The Great Barrier Barrier ReefReef

The Great Barrier Reef is a huge coral reef.

It is along the eastern coast of Australia.

A coral is an animal about the size of an ant.

It builds a hard, rocky skeleton around itself for protection.

Millions of corals build a

coral reef.