Notice it vs 20 says the the birds fly across the face of the expanse. This would be the part closest to earth.
When scientists definitely make the discovery of the cosmic sea as I explain in my post they are close to, in your telling that will be an interesting discovery that has nothing to do with what God says in His Word. In a more literal straightforward reading, we get to praise God that it’s described throughout His word! Read my entire post for explanation. Long, but worth thinking about.