Translation
a third of the creatures living in the sea died, and
a third of the ships
were destroyed.
Go to footnote numberParaphrase
a limited portion of those things living in the unknowable died, and
a limited portion of the vessels used to transport people and cargo through danger were destroyed.
Footnotes
1
Why were the ships destroyed? Blood alone does not destroy a ship, but this is imagery and blood here represents something deadly. It is a picture of destruction, not a detailed explanation of the causes of destruction.