Understanding oceans

Geetha Iyer
Recently the international community agreed to the presence of a fifth ocean in the world–the Southern Ocean. The oceans and the life systems within them are directly and indirectly linked with our lives. It is important to understand the role that the oceans play in sustaining the earth as global warming is equally affecting our oceans and the lives within them. As a first step towards understanding oceans here are the characteristics that make an ocean.