What is the difference between an Ocean and a Sea?

Everyone loves to be around water and indulge in activities related to water. Our earth is the only planet in the solar system that is blessed with water that is found in abundance. There are plenty of different water bodies available on the earth that is different from one another on several grounds.

It is because of these water bodies that our planet has been able to sustain life on it. These water bodies support the ecosystem and enable livelihood on it. Water is the most essential element that is required for a significant purpose. Among all the water bodies present on the earth, the ocean and the sea are the most confused water ones.

People often get confused between an ocean and a sea, they consider both as similar. In reality, both oceans and seas are poles apart from each other. They are different from one another on so many grounds.

Before learning the major differences between oceans and seas, let’s learn some basic facts regarding each of the water bodies.

What are a sea and an ocean?

Covering almost 70% of the earth, oceans are the vast salty water that you see on the earth’s globe. Ocean makes the majority of earth’s hydrosphere for which our planet is famous in the solar system. There are five oceans in total, namely, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Antarctic, and Arctic ocean.

Sea is a large saline water body occupying a greater space on the earth but lesser than the oceans. It is basically the interconnected network of oceanic water. Hence, it the part of the oceans as well but occupies a lesser area.

What Makes an Ocean and a Sea Difference?

As mentioned earlier, both oceans and seas are different from each other and have some distinctive characteristics. It is essential to know the basic difference between these water bodies so that you are aware of your planet’s hydrosphere. There’s no rocket science involved in understanding the difference between ocean and sea, there are some common identifiable differences between both the water bodies.

So, if you also want to learn more about the ocean and sea, first you need to learn the basic difference. Take a look at the difference between these water bodies against some basic parameters:-

Depth

When it comes to depth, oceans are larger water bodies on the earth’s surface. There are 5 different oceans. The largest has a depth of 10,924 meters and the smallest one has 5,625 meters.

The five ocean when joined together to form a large salty water body is known as the World Ocean. Seas, on the other hand, are smaller water bodies that are not that deep.

Some of the commonly known seas are the Mediterranean Sea, Baltic Sea, North Sea, Bering Sea, Red Sea, and the Yellow Sea The deepest sea in the world is the Caribbean Sea which is around 6,946 meters deep.

The depth of the ocean and sea is the primary differentiating factor between the two water bodies, Compared to the sea, oceans are much deeper because sea waters are generally enclosed with the land.

Area

The area of water means the space occupied by the water body. In terms of area as well, oceans are undoubtedly the most significant water bodies on the earth. They occupy almost 361,900,000 sq. kilometers.

They are not confined to the land border so they have a much larger area to cover on the earth’s surface, unlike seas that are closely knitted with the land. The largest Pacific Ocean covers around 60,060,700 square miles. When compared to the ground of the area, seas are much smaller than oceans because of their close proximity to the land.

Generally, you would witness that seas are not that broader or larger, there is some extent to which it lasts. The largest sea in terms of area is the Mediterranean Sea which has a total area of 1,144,800 square miles. It is the maximum a sea can extend its area. Thus, when it comes to area, the ocean is much larger than the sea bodies.

The area is the major indicator of the difference between seas and oceans. Next time someone says oceans and seas both are large and enormous, you know how to correct them with the facts.

Marine Life

Marine life is another differentiating factor between ocean and sea. There are plants and animals that only exist in specific water conditions. The ocean is made up of salty water, whereas, seas are saline water bodies. Both have a different marine ecosystem.

The distance or depth of the oceans or sea from its shore becomes a deciding factor of its aquatic biodiversity. Seas have much larger aquatic life compared to oceans as it is much closer to the land than the oceans. You can find an abundance of aquatic plants and animals in the sea.

Another reason why the sea is able to sustain such a vast portion of marine life is that the sun rays penetrate deep supporting photosynthesis compared to oceans. Deep oceans have a rare marine lifestyle because they are far from the reach of natural sunlight. You can see plenty of diverse marine life in the seas, but that is not the case with oceans.

There are only some rare plants and animal species that are found in the oceans. It is the different habitat and distance from shore that distinct the marine life in both the water bodies.

Conclusion

Though both oceans and seas are part of one another, there are some significant reasons that set them apart from each other. The difference between ocean seas can be determined with the above-mentioned point that makes both the water bodies distinctive.

People often confuse oceans with seas and consider both as similar water bodies. The above mentioned were some of the major differences between oceans and seas. Seas are generally smaller and less deep than the oceans. Both the ocean and sea have different marine animals.

Hence, there are some clear differences between the water bodies that can help differentiate them. So, next time you see someone mentioning both ocean and sea as similar, you know how to explain to them that both the water bodies have distinctive characteristics that make them different from one another.