Open Ocean
What is it?
Most of us have seen the ocean as we’ve walked along a beach or gazed out over the waves towards the horizon. But where does the beach end and the ocean begin? If you were to swim out into the water, you would know you’ve reached the open ocean when light penetration, temperature and salinity stays almost exactly the same all year round. The open ocean is one of the most uniform environments on earth.
What lives there?
Residents of the open ocean include whales, dolphins, fish, squid, jellyfish, small crustaceans and microscopic plankton, which include the juveniles of many larger species including sea stars and lobsters.
There are many web sites dedicated to the creatures of the open ocean and their conservation. Visit the LINKS section to find out more.
Scientists exploring the Southern Ocean
Where are these habitats?
Gulf St Vincent , the water out from Adelaide ’s coastline, is too sheltered to be open ocean. Between summer and winter in one year, the temperature can change as much as 15°C and the salinity also varies widely. However, other less sheltered parts of South Australia ’s coast line are met by the Southern Ocean and the open ocean is no more than 500m out to sea.
Click here for an Open Ocean fact sheet (PDF 228kb)