Catch up TV

Series 1: 4. Oceans

Oceans are the largest ecosystem on earth, covering two thirds of our world’s surface and providing half the oxygen in our atmosphere. They are home to as much as 80 per cent of all life on earth, and nearly three billion people rely on them for their primary source of food.\n\nBut our planet’s oceans would be little more than stagnant wastelands, and life on earth - not just in the oceans - would cease to exist, were it not for one simple factor: a global network of powerful currents. Every drop of seawater on earth rides these currents, taking 1,000 years to complete a single circuit. Without the constant mixing of currents, tides and waves, our oceans would stop supporting life - and a healthy ocean is vital to a healthy planet.

Source: BBC 1