The ocean fills all our senses. We can hear its waves, smell its salty odor, and see its rippling blue surface stretching toward the horizon. Dipping our toes in it makes us shiver, and tasting it makes us wince! The ocean is an enormous soup made up of about 60 different chemical elements that give it its salty taste. The main ingredientschlorine, sodium, sulfate, magnesium, calcium, and potassiumcome mostly from river sediment dumped into the ocean. The worldˇs saltiest waters are in the Tropics..In these regions, high temperatures and a lack of rain increase evaporation. This reduces the amount of freshwater in the ocean and raises its concentration of salt. Besides its saltiness, the ocean has several other traits, which include color, and temperature.