The richest source of diversity of life is the ocean. Any of the five oceans existing on our planet is a real storehouse of the organic world. Moreover, if all terrestrial animals are known to science, then some inhabitants of the depths still remain undiscovered, skillfully hiding in the bowels of the ocean.
This only spurs the interest of zoologists, oceanologists and other scientists. The study of the ocean, starting from its physical characteristics and ending with the diversity of life in it, is in the foreground today. Consider the organic world of the Indian Ocean as one of the richest in living systems.
Indian Ocean Feature
Among other oceans, the Indian is in third place in the occupied water area (after the Atlantic and Pacific). The properties of the Indian Ocean can be characterized by several main points:
- The territory of the ocean is about 77 million km 2 .
- The organic world of the Indian Ocean is very diverse.
- The volume of water is 283.5 million m 3 .
- The width of the ocean is about 10 thousand km 2 .
- Washes all over the world Eurasia, Africa, Australia and Antarctica.
- Bays (straits) and the sea occupy 15% of the entire ocean.
- The largest island is Madagascar.
- The largest depth near the island of Java in Indonesia is more than 7 km.
- The average total water temperature is 15-18 0 . In each separate place of the ocean (near the borders with islands, in the seas and bays) the temperature can vary significantly.
Indian Ocean Exploration
This water body has been known since antiquity. It was an important link in the trade in spices, fabrics, furs and other goods between the peoples of Persia, Egypt and Africa.
However, exploration of the Indian Ocean began much later, during the time of the famous Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama (mid-15th century). It belongs to him the merit of the discovery of India, in whose honor the whole ocean was named.
Before Vasco da Gama, he had many different names for the peoples of the world: the Eritrean Sea, the Black Sea, the Indikon Pelagos, Bar el Hind. However, back in the 1st century, Pliny the Elder called him Oceanus Indicus, which is translated from the Latin language as the โIndian Oceanโ.
A more modern and scientific approach to the study of the bottom structure, water composition, inhabitants of animal and plant origin began to be implemented only from the 19th century. Today, the fauna of the Indian Ocean is of great practical and scientific interest, as is the ocean itself. Scientists from Russia, America, Germany and other countries are actively engaged in this issue using the most advanced technology (underwater devices, space satellites).
Organic world picture
The organic world of the Indian Ocean is quite diverse. Among the representatives of flora and fauna, there are such species that are very specific and rare.
By its diversity, the biomass of the ocean resembles that in the Pacific Ocean (more precisely, in its western part). This is due to the common undercurrents between these oceans.
In general, the whole organic world of the local waters can be combined into two groups according to their habitat:
- The tropical part of the Indian Ocean.
- Antarctic part.
Each of them has its own climatic conditions, currents, and abiotic factors. Therefore, organic diversity varies in composition.
Diversity of life in the ocean
The tropical region of this body of water abounds with a variety of planktonic and benthic species of animals and plants. Algae such as unicellular trichodesium are considered common. Their concentration in the upper layers of the ocean is so high that the overall color of the water changes.
Also in this area, the organic world of the Indian Ocean is represented by the following types of algae:
- sargasso algae;
- turbinariums;
- cowlerps;
- phytotamnia;
- halimeds;
- mangroves.
Of the small animals, the most widespread representatives of plankton, which were beautifully glowing at night, were physalis, siphonophores, ctenophores, tunicates, peridenea, and jellyfish.
The Antarctic region of the Indian Ocean is represented by fucus, kelp, porphyry, halidium, huge macrocystis. Of the representatives of the animal kingdom (small), copipods, euphazides, and diatoms live here.
Fancy fish
Often, Indian Ocean animals are rare or simply unusual in appearance. So, among the most common and numerous fish, there are sharks, stingrays, mackerels, coryfenes, tuna, notothenia.
If we talk about unusual representatives of the ichthyofauna, then it should be noted such as:
- coral fish;
- parrot fish;
- White shark;
- whale shark.
Among fish, tuna, mackerel, coryfenes and notothenia are of commercial importance.
Variety of animals
The fauna of the Indian Ocean has representatives of the following types, classes, families:
- Fishes.
- Reptiles (sea snakes and giant turtles).
- Mammals (sperm whales, seals, blue whales, saivals, elephants, dolphins, toothless whales).
- Mollusks (giant octopus, octopus, snails).
- Sponges (calcareous and silicon forms);
- Echinoderms (sea beauty, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, ophiura).
- Crustaceans (crayfish, crabs, lobsters).
- Hydroid (polyps).
- Bryozoans.
- Coral polyps (form coastal reefs).
Such animals as sea beauties have a very bright color, live at the very bottom and have a hexagonal shape with radiation symmetry of the body. Thanks to them, the ocean floor looks bright and picturesque.
The giant octopus is a large octopus, the length of the tentacles of which extends to 1.2 m. The body at the same time, as a rule, is no more than 30 cm in length.
Lime and silicon sponges play a large role in the formation of the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Along with benthic species of algae, they form entire deposits of calcareous and silicon deposits.
The most terrible predator of these habitats is the white shark, the size of which reaches 3 meters. A ruthless and very agile killer, she is practically the main thunderstorm of the Indian Ocean.
Very beautiful and interesting fish of the Indian Ocean - coral fish. They are fanciful and brightly colored, have a flat, elongated body shape. These fish are very deftly able to hide in thickets of coral polyps, not a single predator can get them there.
The combined conditions of the Indian Ocean allow its fauna to be so diverse and interesting as to attract those who wish to study it.
Vegetable world
The outline map of the Indian Ocean gives a general idea of โโwhat it borders on. And starting from this, it is easy to imagine what the plant community of the ocean will be like.
Proximity to the Pacific Ocean contributes to the widespread distribution of brown and red algae, many of which are of commercial importance. Green algae is also present in all parts of the Indian Ocean.
Thickets of gigantic macrocystis are considered interesting and unusual. It is believed that getting into such thickets on a ship is tantamount to death, because it is very easy to get confused in them and it is completely impossible to get out.
The main part of the plant world of the ocean consists of unicellular benthic, planktonic algae.
The fishing value of the Indian Ocean
The fishery of animals and plants in the Indian Ocean is not developed as fully as in other deep oceans and seas. Today, this ocean is a world source of stock, a reserve of valuable food sources. The outline map of the Indian Ocean can show the main islands and peninsulas on which fishing is most developed and valuable species of fish and algae are harvested:
- Sri Lanka;
- Hindustan;
- Somalia;
- Madagascar;
- Maldives;
- Seychelles
- Arabian Peninsula.
At the same time, the animals of the Indian Ocean are for the most part very valuable species. However, this water body is not very popular in this sense. Its main significance for people today is access to different countries of the world, islands and peninsulas.