Ocean

The ocean (also the sea or the world ocean) is the body of salt water that covers approximately 70.8% of the Earth and contains 97% of Earth's water. Oceanographers have divided the ocean into five different regions: Pacific (the largest), Atlantic, Indian, Southern, and Arctic (the smallest). Seawater covers approximately 361,000,000 km2 (139,000,000 sq mi) of the planet. The ocean is the principal component of Earth's hydrosphere, and therefore integral to life on Earth. Acting as a huge heat reservoir, the ocean influences climate and weather patterns, the carbon cycle, and the water cycle.