Tuesday, December 24, 2013

We Bet You Didn’t Know...

It is surprising how little we actually know about our oceans. Despite the amount of time we spend studying, designing products for, and transporting ourselves across the oceans, the Earth’s marine water bodies still remain a largely unknown mystery.


Of the things we do know, however, there are many fascinating facts that lie just outside of common knowledge. Impress your friends down the boatyard or in the pub by reeling off some of these details about the depths.

1.    The Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world. According to Marine Bio, high tide can reach 16.3 metres above the point of low-tide at certain points of the year.

2.    If that wasn’t enough, the deepest point of the ocean is 8.38km down. Marine Bio tell us that the pressure at the bottom point is 11,318 tons per m2, “or the equivalent of one person trying to support 50 jumbo jets”!

3.    The proportion of the oceans explored by humans is less than 10% of its total area.

4.    Jacques Mayol set an incredible record for the deepest free dive by travelling 105m down without any breathing equipment. His skills earnt him the nickname Dolphin Man.

5.    A large proportion of life in the oceans is imperceptible to the human eye. Mother Earth News suggested that swallowing a milliliter of ocean water means you also ingest 1 million bacteria and 10 million viruses!

These facts would also make great icebreakers following the inevitable family arguments of the festive season. Use them wisely.
 

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