Ocean Ocean An ocean () is a body of saline water that composes much of a planet's hydrosphere. On Earth, an ocean is one of the major conventional divisions of the World Ocean. These are, in descending order by area, the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Southern (Antarctic), and Arctic Oceans. The word "ocean" is often used interchangeably with "sea" in American English. Strictly speaking, a "sea" is a body of saline water (generally a division of the world ocean) partly or fully enclosed by land, though "the sea" refers also to the oceans. Saline water covers approximately and is customarily divided into
Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) for which we share responsibility remain healthy, resilient and productive for our children and theirs." Sarah Chasis, Senior Attorney and Director, Ocean Initiative, New York of the Natural Resources Defense Council noted in a blog posting that with the initiative "the Mid-Atlantic jumps to being a regional player on the ocean protection scene, on par with ecosystem-wide efforts by bodies like the West Coast Governors' Agreement." Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean is a regional initiative by states in the Mid-Atlantic States region "to maintain and improve the health of our ocean and