Many species are economically important to humans, including fish and shellfish. It is also understood that the well-being of marine and other organisms is fundamentally linked. Human knowledge about the relationship between marine life and important cycles is growing rapidly, with new discoveries being made almost daily. These cycles include those of matter (such as the carbon cycle) and air (such as the respiration of the Earth and the movement of energy through ecosystems, including the ocean). Large areas below the surface of the sea are still effectively unexplored. Microscopic life underwater is incredibly diverse and still poorly understood. For example, the role of viruses in marine ecosystems is hardly studied, even at the beginning of the 21st century. [24] Like whales, mermaids spend their entire lives in the water. They are the only completely herbivorous group of marine mammals.
Mermaids are named after mermaids, the legendary beauties of the Greek sea that drew sailors into the sea. Some believe that the historical mermaid sightings were actually mermaids, not the mythical half women, half fish. Marine biology is a branch of biology. It is closely related to oceanography, especially biological oceanography, and can be considered a branch of marine science. It also includes many ideas of ecology. Fisheries science and marine conservation can be seen as partial offshoots of marine biology (as well as environmental studies). Marine chemistry, physical oceanography and atmospheric sciences are closely related to this field. There is a wide variety of marine species. Marine life can range from tiny, single-celled organisms to gigantic blue whales, which are the largest creatures on Earth.
Below is a list of the major tribes or taxonomic groups of marine life. Zooplankton tend to be slightly larger, and not all of them are microscopic. Many protozoa are zooplankton, including dinoflagellates, zooflagellates, foraminifera and radiolarians. Some of them (such as dinoflagellates) are also phytoplankton; The distinction between plants and animals often breaks into very small organisms. Other zooplankton are cnidarians, rib executioners, chaetognaths, mollusks, arthropods, urochordates and annelids such as polychaetes. Many large animals begin their lives as zooplankton before becoming large enough to take on their familiar shape. Two examples are fish larvae and starfish (also called starfish). Much of all life on Earth lives in the ocean. The exact size of this large proportion is unknown, as many marine species remain to be discovered. The ocean is a complex three-dimensional world[1] that covers about 71% of the Earth`s surface. Habitats studied in marine biology include everything from tiny layers of surface water where organisms and abiotic objects can be trapped in the surface tension between the ocean and the atmosphere, to the depths of ocean trenches, sometimes 10,000 meters or more below the ocean`s surface.
Specific habitats include estuaries, coral reefs, kelp forests, seagrass beds, the surroundings of seamounts and hot springs, tidal pools, muddy, sandy and rocky bottoms and the open ocean (pelagic) area, where solid objects are rare and the water surface is the only visible boundary. The organisms studied range from microscopic phytoplankton and zooplankton to giant whales (whales) 25 to 32 metres (82 to 105 feet) long. Marine ecology is the study of how marine organisms interact with each other and with the environment. One of the main goals of marine biology is to discover how marine phenomena control the distribution of organisms. Marine biologists study how certain organisms adapt to the different chemical and physical properties of seawater, the movements and currents of the ocean, the availability of light at different depths, and the solid surfaces of the seabed. Particular attention is paid to determining the dynamics of marine ecosystems, in particular to understanding food chains and predator-prey relationships. Marine biological information on the distribution of fish and crustacean populations is of great importance to fisheries. Marine biology also addresses the effects of certain forms of pollution on marine fish and flora, in particular the effects of runoff of pesticides and fertilizers from land-based sources, accidental leaks from tankers, and siltation of coastal construction activities. The study of marine biology dates back to Aristotle (384-322 BC), who made many observations of marine life around Lesbos and laid the foundation for many future discoveries. [39] In 1768, Samuel Gottlieb Gmelin (1744-1774) published the Historia Fucorum, the first work on algae and the first book on marine biology using Linnaeus` new binomial nomenclature. It contained elaborate illustrations of algae and algae on folded leaves. [40] [41] The British naturalist Edward Forbes (1815-1854) is generally regarded as the founder of the science of marine biology.
[42] The pace of marine oceanographic and biological studies accelerated rapidly during the 19th century. As inhabitants of Earth`s largest environment, marine microbial systems are driving changes in all global systems. Microbes are responsible for virtually all photosynthesis in the ocean, as well as the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients and trace elements. [23] Reefs are among the densest and most diverse habitats in the world. The most well-known reef types are tropical coral reefs, which exist in most tropical waters; However, reefs can also exist in cold water. Reefs are built by corals and other calcium-depositing animals, usually on a rocky outcrop at the bottom of the ocean. Reefs can also grow on other surfaces, which has helped create artificial reefs. Coral reefs are also home to a vast community of life, including corals themselves, their symbiotic zooxanthellae, tropical fish, and many other organisms. Marine habitats can be divided into coastal and open marine habitats. Coastal habitats are located in the area extending from the coast to the edge of the continental shelf.Most marine life is found in coastal habitats, although the shelf area occupies only seven percent of the total ocean area. Deep-sea habitats are located in the deep sea beyond the edge of the continental shelf. Alternatively, marine habitats can be divided into pelagic and demersal habitats. Pelagic habitats are located near the surface or in the open water column, away from the ocean floor and influenced by ocean currents, while terrestrial habitats are near or on the ground. Marine habitats can be modified by their inhabitants. Some marine organisms, such as corals, algae and seagrass beds, are ecosystem engineers who reshape the marine environment to the point of creating additional habitat for other organisms. The study of marine life is called marine biology, and a person who studies marine life is called a marine biologist. Marine biologists can have many different jobs, including working with marine mammals (such as a dolphin researcher), studying the ocean floor, studying algae, or even working with marine microbes in a laboratory. Marine mammals are found in marine ecosystems around the world. This is a diverse group of mammals with unique physical adaptations that allow them to thrive in the marine environment with extreme temperatures, depths, pressures and darkness.
Marine mammals are divided into four distinct taxonomic groups: whales (whales, dolphins and porpoises), pinnipeds (seals, sea lions and walruses), mermaids (manatees and dugongs) and sea splits (polar bears and sea otters). There are five main types of marine mammals, namely whales (toothed whales and baleen whales); mermaids like manatees; pinnipeds, including seals and walruses; Sea otter; and the polar bear. Everyone breathes air, and while some, like the sperm whale, can dive for long periods of time, everyone has to return to the surface to breathe. [34] [35] The study of marine life and organisms in the ocean, marine science includes the biological and physical sciences. While there are many different paths a marine scientist can take, learn more from marine biologist Greg Rouse first about their work and research in this video. Birds adapted to life in the marine environment are often referred to as seabirds. Examples include albatrosses, penguins, gannets and alks. Although they spend most of their lives in the sea, species such as gulls are often found thousands of miles inland. In the second half of the 19th century, as the focus was on collecting, describing and cataloguing marine organisms, methods of collecting and preserving samples for study were developed.
Marine biologists have adapted traditional dredges and trawls to sample from the seabed; and wheeled nets were used to secure free-swimming animals. New instruments have been developed to take water samples and obtain temperature information at any desired depth. Some of the most well-known marine tribes are listed below. A more complete list can be found here. The marine strains listed below are from the World Register of Marine Species list. Here are some links that may help you if you`re pursuing a career in marine biology: The term „marine life“ refers to organisms that live in salt water.
