In Pictures: Life Under Water

Also called the lungs of the Earth, the oceans absorb 25% of the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere

Updated on: 12 January 2023 5:33 am

A tropical fish underwater

The fact that water makes up 70% of the Earth is common knowledge. However, did you know that oceans serve as the world’s largest source of protein, with more than 3 billion people depending on them as their primary source of protein? Not only that, according to UNESCO, an estimated 3 million shipwrecks are spread across ocean floors around the planet. More life forms exist underwater than above. And all this has been discovered only in the 5% of ocean waters we’ve already explored. (Yes, we've only explored that much of our vast oceans.)

June 8 is marked as World Oceans Day ‘for celebrating the roles of oceans in our everyday life and inspiring action to protect the ocean and sustainably use marine resources,’ according to the UN. The theme for this year is “Innovation for a Sustainable Ocean” and various virtual and engaging events have been planned throughout the day, a list of which can be accessed here.

As life underwater continues to fascinate us, here are 9 images celebrating what the oceans hold beneath them:

The yellow boxfish is yellow in colour when juvenile. When stressed or injured it releases the neurotoxin tetrodoxin (TTX) from its skin that may prove lethal to the fish in the surrounding waters Shutterstock

The calcium carbonate skeleton of a purple sea urchin, also known as strongylocentrotus purpuratus on the shore of northern California Shutterstock

The Chrysaora Pacifica, commonly Japanese sea nettle, is native to the northwest Pacific Ocean Shutterstock

The porcelain crabs have flattened bodies as an adaptation for living in rock crevices. They can be found in all the world’s oceans, except the Arctic and Antarctic Shutterstock

The blue-ringed octopus are a highly venomous species and can be found in the coral reefs and tide pools in the Indian and Pacific oceans Shutterstock

Little common crab on large common pink jellyfish in Andaman sea, Indian Ocean Shutterstock

Rhinopias frondosa, or more commonly the weedy scorpionfish, is a nocturnal ambush hunter and can be found in the Indian as well as Pacific ocean Shutterstock

The frogfish or anglerfish are great at camouflaging to lure a prey or protect themselves from predators. The fish is camouflaged against a coral here Shutterstock