Most of the water on Earth is saline (containing salt) and is found in the oceans. The ocean provides us with many things. It is far more than a place for swimming, boating, and other recreation. The oceans serve as a source of food, energy and minerals. Ships use the oceans to carry cargo between continents. But above all else, the sea helps keep the earth’s climate healthy by regulating the air temperature and by supplying the moisture for rainfall. If there were no oceans, life could not exist on our planet. Every natural element can be found in the waters of the oceans. But the oceans are especially known for their salts. Seawater contains, on average, about 3½ per cent salts. Six elements account for 99 per cent of an ocean’s salinity (saltiness). They are, in order of amount, chloride, sodium, sulphur (as sulphate),
