Author: Dr Satheesh Chandra Shenoi
THE OCEAN: HEART OF THE EARTH SYSTEM The ocean is the heart of our planet’s life-support system. It governs weather and climate, regulates temperature, cycles nutrients, and sustains a diversity of life unmatched on land. Covering over 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, it contains about 97 percent of all water and absorbs nearly 90 percent of the excess heat generated by human activity. The ocean’s vastness belies its fragility, yet its stability is indispensable for life on Earth. Through the photosynthetic activity of marine phytoplankton (microscopic plants), the ocean produces at least half of our oxygen; i.e., every second…