17 Science-backed ways the Ocean keeps you alive

You’re alive because of the Ocean.  

We’re exploring some of the many ways the Ocean keeps us all alive. It gives us the air we breathe, the rain that waters our food, climate stability and incredible biodiversity that keeps our planet thriving.  

And yet, most of us don’t realise just how much we rely on the Ocean every single day. 

Here are 17 science-backed ways the Ocean keeps us, and all life on Earth, alive.  

1. The Ocean is an oxygen factory  

Over 50% of the oxygen you breathe comes from marine plants (who rely on a healthy Ocean to survive. Big shout out to microscopic phytoplankton, doing the heavy lifting!). 

Btw, that’s more than all the rainforests combined. 

2. Heat absorber  

Our Ocean absorbs +90% of excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases. 

Without the Ocean, Earth would be scorching. 

3. Climate regulator  

Ocean currents redistribute heat, making life liveable. Ocean currents make it cooler in winter and warmer in summer all across the world 

4. Carbon sink  

The Ocean is one of the largest carbon sinks on Earth. Various marine ecosystems store carbon plus allllll the animals and plants = natural carbon capture technology.  

When animals pass away and sink to the bottom of the Ocean, they lock carbon deep in the Ocean.  

5. Key player in the water cycle 

The amount of freshwater we have on Earth is fixed. And the Ocean? It powers the water cycle: evaporation, precipitation, and storm formation. 

No Ocean = no rain = no drinking water = no crops = no people. 

6. Food source  

+3 billion people rely on fish as a key source of protein. Fisheries also support jobs, economies, and cultures.

And ecosystems like coral reefs and mangrove forests nurture little fish (like Ocean nurseries). 

7. Ocean = weather controller  

Ocean temperatures drive weather events like monsoons, hurricanes and El Niño. So, a warm Ocean = stronger storms (bad). A cooler Ocean = more weather stability (good). 

Until it’s too hot, our Ocean will keep regulating the world’s weather patterns. 

8. Biodiversity  

Most biodiversity = within the Ocean.  

Coral reefs, deep-sea ecosystems, the open Ocean: they all have unique ecosystems that are VITAL to the overall balance of our planet.  

9. Blue carbon ecosystems = defence systems  

Coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrasses protect our coastlines. They guard against erosion, flooding, tsunamis and other disasters. 

Considering about a third of the global population (2.5 billion people) live within 100 km of the coasts, this is a very important way Ocean ecosystems support us. And these ecosystems will be CRUCIAL as sea level rises.  

10. Dr Ocean, reporting for duty  

There are MANY marine compounds (over 20) that are used/ studied for medicines. The Ocean, and its creatures, help us develop medicines for: cancer, Alzheimer’s, infections and general pain. 

11. Ocean currents keep food webs healthy 

Ocean currents move nutrients across the world. These nutrients fuel marine food webs. One example is marine snow (tiny bits of decaying matter from dead organisms that slowly drifts from the surface which becomes food for deep-sea animals.  

12. Culture and economic impact  

There are numerous Ocean-based industries that generate trillions. Think of shipping, tourism, fishing and marine renewable energy. These industries, which rely on the Ocean, support millions of jobs and centuries of cultural heritage. 

13. The origin of ALL LIFE ON EARTH  

Scientists predict that all life began in the Ocean (in hydrothermal vents in the deep-sea.)  

14. Cooling Earth’s core 

Cool Ocean water is carried to Earth’s mantle which regulates geothermal heat flow over extended periods of time. 

15. Solar radiation, be gone 

Sea ice and the surface of our Ocean act as a reflector of solar radiation. Losing ice = more heat absorption = hotter planet = not good.

16. Ice cores hold the secrets of our climate 

Ocean sediments and ice cores preserve millions of years of Earth’s climate and carbon dioxide history. This makes our Ocean a vital archive of climate science and information. We use these findings to model future predictions of our climate and weather patterns.  

17. Speedy carbon storage 

I already mentioned blue carbon ecosystems (like mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses and how they protect our coastlines). But! These ecosystems store carbon up to 10x faster than land-based forests.  

No matter where you live, the Ocean is keeping you alive.  

Whether the Ocean is stabilising the climate, powering the water cycle, feeding billions, or buffering us from storms, it’s Earth’s life support system. 

But here’s the catch: our Ocean can’t keep protecting us if we don’t protect it. 

As you scroll, sip, breathe and go about your day, remember a healthy Ocean is essential for a healthy future. For you. For me. For ducks. For everyone.