While there are seven named oceans and many seas, bays, and estuaries, they are all connected as one ocean. The importance of the ocean to our everyday lives is indisputable. It covers 71% of the Earth’s surface, provides over half of the oxygen we breathe, influences the planet’s climate, and provides abundant resources upon which our Nation depends. 

The USGS is a world leader in characterizing the geologic structure; energy, biological, and mineral resources; and planetary-scale processes that occur at and beneath the ocean floor. The USGS provides robust scientific information to help the Nation sustainably manage our limited marine resources and better prepare for marine geohazards. 

Now you can explore USGS ocean-related science in one location as part of our Science Explorer. 

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The USGS conducts ocean science, all the way from terrestrial watersheds out to the deep sea. Understanding this interconnectedness requires greater knowledge of the processes occurring within and across these ecosystems. The USGS is uniquely positioned to be able to answer fundamental questions about these Earth systems, how they interact, and how they might change in the future. We work to understand sedimentary deposits and how coral reefs protect our coastlines, how sediments move through various underwater ecosystems, submarine landslides and earthquakes that can trigger the formation of tsunamis, and we search for new life, minerals, and knowledge about these environments and their connectedness from microscopic to ecosystem levels. USGS ocean science can help us better manage our marine resources, be more prepared for ocean-based hazards, and predict future oceanic conditions in our changing world.  

Explore these pages to learn how USGS science contributes to knowledge on ocean processes, resources, hazards, and more: Ocean Science Explorer