1. Ocean resources
1.1. Energy resources
1.1.1. How are they formed
1.1.1.1. Millions of years ago, marine animals and plants died and were buried under the ocean floor. The organic matters were buried deeper by successive layers of sediment. With pressure and high temperature, the buried organic matters became oil.
1.1.2. There are very rich oil and natural gas reserves in the Arctic Ocean. These reserves have attracted many countries to exploit them, in spite of the harsh and icy environment of the Arctic Ocean.
1.2. Natural minerals
1.2.1. Valuable resources such as gold, silver, copper, and manganese can be found.
1.2.2. How are they formed
1.2.2.1. These minerals are usually brought by tectonic movements in the ocean floor, when magma rises to the crust surface and solidifies to become minerals.
1.3. Salt
1.3.1. How are they extracted
1.3.1.1. Salt can be extracted from seawater after evaporation in coastal areas under strong sunshine.
1.3.2. Salt can be used for food seasoning and for industrial purposes.
2. Recreation
2.1. Ocean serves as one of the most popular places for recreational activities, such as wind surfing, swimming, fishing, and diving.
2.2. Examples
2.2.1. Some coastal countries, such as the Maldives, develop many water activities to attract tourists from all across the world.
2.2.2. The Barrier Reef in Australia has a wide range of marine animals and corals that attract many divers to explore the ocean.
3. Transportation
3.1. Tankers and container ships are efficient in carrying bulky goods. Cargo shipping provides a cheaper means, in terms of fuel costs, to transport a large amount of bulky goods from one country to another. Oil tankers transport oil all over the world.
3.2. Examples in real life
3.2.1. Ferries, turbo-jet services. People go to commute to work by ferries on a daily basis
4. Food
4.1. Seafood is rich in protein, people need protein for growth and maintain good health.
4.2. Statistics
4.2.1. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, there were 96.4 million tonnes of catch from the oceans globally, about 87% was used for human consumption in 2018.
4.2.2. About 1 billion people in the less developed countries rely on fish as their primary source of animal protein.
5. Energy source
5.1. Tides create a difference in the water levels. The tidal difference between high and low tides produces enough energy to move turbines to generate electricity.
5.2. Benefit of tidal energy
5.2.1. Renewable and pollution-free