7 Things We Still Don't Know About Our Vast Oceans

Even with all the technological advancements that we have today, the oceans are still one among the most elusive natural wonders of the world. If you think that you know everything about our oceans, then the following seven entries will leave you in a sea of questions!

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1. We don’t really know 1/3^rd of the marine life

There are claims that humans have studied 1/3^rd of marine life, but in reality, we don’t know the extent of the variety of species there is in the ocean. So without knowing how many life forms there are in the ocean, we cannot say we have explored a certain percentage or part of it.

Yes, we have made vast strides of advancements in studying marine life forms that are present in the shoreline and shallow parts of the ocean, but the diversity of these life forms varies exponentially when we get to the deeper parts of the world’s oceans.

Expeditions and researches are being done on deeper parts of the oceans and we are discovering new organisms every single year. In 2018 itself, marine biologists have added more than 100 new marine species to the ever growing list.

2. The Bermuda Triangle

Still in the list of mysteries we can’t just figure out, the Bermuda triangle is a subject of many theories and conspiracies!

In raw numbers, 50 ships and 20 airplanes have already gone missing in this spot located in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Compasses seem to not work at the Bermuda Triangle, causing airplanes to lose all navigational data from that point. There are many theories floating around on the internet about the Bermuda Triangle, some supernatural, and some even involve aliens!

The best answers that scientists have come up for this particular phenomenon are rogue waves and human error in accounting for the agonic line. There are studies going on regarding the Bermuda Triangle and who knows, one day we might have a clear answer to what happens in that particular stretch of sea.

3. Baltic Sea Anomaly

On the Northern Baltic Sea, lies a circular object having certain structural qualities on it. This mysterious object was found by a Swedish treasure hunting team called Ocean X in 2011. The object is situated right at the center of the Bothnian Sea.

The intricate lines that resemble ramps, stairs, and other structures give away that fact that the structure was not formed from natural causes, but of human invention.

Some of the theories of its origin categorize the Baltic anomaly as a UFO that has sunken to the bottom of the sea, while others believe that the stature was indeed formed by natural forces. The explanation that got highly popular among researchers was that the object is actually a German ballistic object that fell into the sea in the height of the Second World War.

However, there is still no official verdict on the origins of the Baltic sea anomaly.

4. The Upsweep Sound

In the vast depths of the ocean, it might seem like a very calm place with no disturbances, however, researchers have picked up certain sounds that are still unexplained today. The researchers use special equipment called the hydrophone which can pick up sounds in water.

The hydrophone used by the American NOAA picked up an unusual sound in 1991 that comprised of upsweeping sounds lasting for a few seconds each. The sound is audible through a hydrophone placed at the coordinates 54°S 140°W and the intensity of these frequencies seems to undergo a seasonal change where they reach peak levels at spring and autumn.

The organ of the upsweep sound is still a mystery. There are also other sound fragments discovered in the ocean to which we still don’t have answers!

5. Mariana Trench

The deepest point on earth will definitely be home to some of the earth’s biggest mysteries. The Mariana Trench is located in the Pacific Ocean. The deepest point in the Mariana Trench has a depth of 11,034 meters.

This means that you can fit the Himalayas in the Mariana Trench and the tip of the mountain will still not be visible from the surface. Various mysterious animals were found in the Mariana Trench that are found nowhere else in the world like the Dumbo octopus, Barreleye fish, Deep Sea Dragon Fish etc.

There are many theories that suggest that the Mariana Trench is home to many prehistoric animals that we once thought existed. However, the trenches in Mariana are also home to very high fluid pressure, even 1000 times more than standard atmospheric pressure, making it hard to get equipment working at those depths.

6. The Phantom Island of Bermeja

The Phantom Island of Berjema also called the “Lost Island of Bermeja” has a mystery involving the disappearance of an island structure that was believed to be at the northwest coast of the Yucatan Peninsula.

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Cartographers from the 16^th century have marked the coordinates 22°33' N, 91°22 E the Bermeja Island. But in 1997, a research vessel found there is no such island in that area.

A separate research party went out for a lookout in 2009 but then again, no traces were found of an island or its remains. So why did every historic map have Bermeja marked on it? 

7.    Aegean Sea Ruins

Off the Greek coast lies the “Underwater Pompeii” that is covered by the sea. The civilization that lived here is considered to be a part of the Bronze Age and not many things are known about the place, except that it was vast and had people living in it who had close connections to crafting and commercial activities.

Small 'Underwater Pompeii' Found Off Greek Island: http://t.co/rx2loKOpyT pic.twitter.com/pMs6I5YGZf

— Seeker (@Seeker) November 21, 2014

Studies are being conducted on the spot to understand more about this civilization and why it is in a state that it is now. Whole cities covered under the ocean, the event is truly terrifying and may offer us a glimpse into what we must do to avert such a disaster in the future for ourselves.

We certainly have a long way to go in understanding the vast oceans of our world. What may seem like a body of waters holds secrets of millions of years and even life forms that we do not know yet.