A convenient primer on the features, marine animals and plants, the human ties to (and our effect on) the oceans from the shoreline to the open water. From the Arctic to the Southern Ocean that encircles Antarctica, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, The Handy Ocean Answer Book is a comprehensive resource that investigates the 71% of our planet that is covered by oceans. Covering the Mariana Trench, sandy beaches, ocean shelves, and ocean bottoms, this engaging book answers more than 1,000 questions about ocean life from the smallest zooplankton to giant whales. Learn about sea snakes, sharks, fish and more fish, waterspouts, whirlpools, tides and quakes, navigation, why a boat floats, famous shipwrecks, the effects of climate change, and much, much more. You’ll find the answers to such mysteries as … What is El Niño and how does it affect the oceans and the weather? What is a riptide? Where does the salt in seawater come from? Are there mountains undersea? How many species of fish exist in the world? Can an ocean be a color other than blue? How do whales breathe? Are volcanoes forming in the oceans today? With 180 photos and illustrations, a helpful index, and bibliography, this book will please dedicated landlubbers and salty sailors alike. It offers an ocean of information on the oceans. Read Less