Seagrass Meadows - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Without oxygen for decomposition, dead organisms become part of the substrate instead of decaying As a result, the meadows store large quantities of carbon A single acre of seagrass meadow can sequester 740 pounds of carbon per year Seagrass meadows store an estimated 18 percent of ocean carbon, despite covering just 0 1 percent of the ocean
Ocean Plants - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Seagrass meadows are plants adapted to live a completely submerged life in the salty shallows 266 Woods Hole Road, Woods Hole, MA 02543-1050 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a 501 (c)(3) organization
Currents, Gyres, Eddies - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution What are Currents, Gyres, and Eddies? Even on the calmest days, Earth's oceans are constantly on the move At the surface and beneath, currents, gyres and eddies play a crucial role in physically shaping the coasts and ocean bottom; in transporting and mixing energy, chemicals and other materials within and among ocean basins; and in sustaining countless plants and animals that rely on the
Abyssal Zone - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution The abyssal zone, or the abyss, is the seafloor and water column from 3,000 to 6,500 meters (9,842 to 21,325 feet) depth, where sunlight doesn’t penetrate
Ocean Zones - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution The ocean water column is made up of five zones: the sunlight (epipelagic), twilight (mesopelagic), midnight (bathypelagic), abyssal (abyssopelagic) and hadal zones (trenches)
Shark Facts - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution What are sharks? Sharks are elasmobranchs, a group of animals that includes rays and skates, whose members have a skeleton made of cartilage, rather than bone, and, unlike most other fish, lack a swim bladder How many species of shark are there? There are more than 500 species of sharks…
Twilight Zone - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution What is the ocean twilight zone? The ocean twilight zone is a layer of water that stretches around the globe It lies 200 to 1,000 meters (about 650 to 3,300 feet) below the ocean surface, just beyond the reach of sunlig
Life at Vents Seeps - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Hydrothermal vents and cold seeps are places where chemical-rich fluids emanate from the seafloor, often providing the energy to sustain lush communities of life in some very harsh environments