Ocean habitats

A habitat is a place where living things such as plants and animals live along with non-living things such as rocks and water. Habitats provide a food source and shelter for animals. There are millions of habitats on the planet and plants and animals have to adapt to the natural surrounding in order to survive.

The sea, the most beautiful place on the planet. It is home to billions of living things, but have you ever wondered whether you would like to live there? If so, dive in to expand your knowledge about ocean habitats. 

What is an ocean habitat?  

The ocean, which is home to more living things than on land, is the biggest habitat on the planet. It is so big that no one knows the exact number of living things in the ocean. The ocean is the most diverse habitat in the whole entire planet as it covers up two thirds of the surface of Earth. Did you know the sea takes up seventy percent of the world!

All ocean habitats are saltwater so the plants and animals which live there must adapt to these salty conditions.  

What creatures you can find in the ocean? 

Depending on water temperature and depth, the plants and animals will differ. 

Creatures such as shrimp and krill prefer to live in colder climates while fish like clownfish prefer warmer water temperatures found in coral reefs.

In the ocean, there are two types of marine habitats; a warm environment and a cold environment. There are different types of creatures and plants in cold whales and dolphins, while other animals like to stay in their territory. Some animals migrate through both warm and cold water such as blue whales.

How do animals survive in the seas? 

Animals that live in the sea have to adapt to the surroundings to survive. Animals such as blue whales and humpback whales eat the smallest of creatures - krill - even though they are the biggest animal in the ocean. This means that these whales need to feed in the colder seas (either near the south pole or the north pole) because that is where their favourite food lives. These whales migrate to warmer seas to have their babies during the summer months. Once the baby whales (calves) have their strength to swim a great distance, the whole pod migrates to the colder water to feed.