Ocean IQ: How Well Do You Know the Big Blue?

There is one global ocean that covers 71 percent of the earth, and it’s divided into five oceanic regions—the Atlantic, Arctic, Indian, Pacific, and Southern (also called the Antarctic) oceans. These five oceans can be beautiful, calming, scary (sometimes), and often provide endless fun for kids AND adults—swimming, surfing, snorkeling, diving, boating, fishing, the list goes on.

But more importantly than having fun in the sun, is that the ocean is home to more than 200,000 marine wildlife species (that have been identified), and possibly up to more than one million that have yet to be discovered. Our oceans also provide essential support to humans in many ways.

Get ready to be amazed by these wild ocean facts!

• The biggest animal in the world lives in the ocean—it’s the blue whale.
• Greenland sharks can live more than 250 years and dive up to 7,000 feet deep.
• The gender of sea turtle hatchlings is determined by the temperature of the nest—warmer sand produces more females, and cooler sand produces more males.
• Atlantic swordfish can swim up to 50 miles per hour.
• Salmon hatch in freshwater rivers, swim to the ocean to mature, and then go back to the same river in which they were born to spawn.
• Sea snakes are among the most venomous snakes in the world and they breath air.
• Deep-sea sponges produce anti-tumor agents that may be able to treat cancer in humans.

Take our quiz to test your knowledge about the ocean. If you want to boost your chances of getting a 100% on this quiz, first read our blog “Oceans are the Heart of the Planet“.