If you look at a map of the world you can see many different oceans, but in fact they are all connected, covering three-fourths of the earth. The Pacific is the largest ocean, followed by the Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic Oceans. Oceans are so vast and huge that they have many different kinds of habitats in them. The surface of the ocean, where sunlight can reach, is called the epipelagic zone. It is where most sea life is found. Here millions upon millions of tiny phytoplankton float along, making their living on the energy of the sun using photosynthesis. They are at the bottom of the food chain in the ocean and many animals feed on them. In this layer of the ocean we find most of the fish, sharks, rays, jellyfish, marine mammals, and sea turtles.

INSECTIVOROUS: Insectivorous plants are plants that trap and digest insects as added food.

An ocean habitat that is rarely seen by humans is the bottom of the ocean, or the benthic zone. Animals here have to be able to live in total darkness and survive the fierce water pressure. Some have adapted with some strange survival traits, like glowing in the dark!

Another ocean habitat is the coral reef. After rainforests, coral reefs are thought to have the most biodiversity of any kind of habitat. That means they have a huge number of animals and plants living there. They are a rich and important habitat.

EPIPELAGIC ZONE: The epipelagic zone is the uppermost layer of the ocean where phytoplankton can get sunlight for photosynthesis.

Many of the animals on the endangered species list live in the oceans, including: