Midterm 1 Flashcards
what is marine biology
- the study of organisms that live in the sea, including all water that has some degree of salinity, like the estuaries at river mouths
- Marine biology is not a separate science. It is an applied field of biology and incorporates many other sciences
- Oceanographers typically study the non-living components of the ocean whereas marine biologists study living organisms
what is functional biology
- How an organism carries out basic functions, e.g., reproduction
what is ecology and evolution
- factors involved in distribution, abundance and appearance of organisms
what is biodiversity
- number of species
Beagle Voyage
-charles darwin
- circumnavigated world, theory of coral reef subsidence (among many others)
challenger voyage
- First major exploration devoted to the study of marine organisms.
- The crew discovered thousands of species previously undescribed and published 50 volumes of information from the data collected over the next 19 years
what are tools in modern marine biology
- remote sensing
- sonar
- scuba
- remotely operated vehicles (ROV)
- research vessels
what is remote sensing
Satellites are used to study large expanses of the ocean surface
what is sonar
Used to map seafloor depths and formations
what is scuba
Used for the study of the marine environment for longer periods and at depths otherwise unavailable to humans
what is ROV
Allows for direct exploration of the marine environment when scuba is not an option
what are research vessels
These floating laboratories allow oceanographers and marine biologists to explore the marine environments for weeks, months, or even years without returning to a land-based facility
why is so much still unknown
- Cold, dark, high pressure low oxygen environment
- Immense ancient environment
- Scientific progress is highly dependent on technological innovations
what is littoral
where the tide goes in and out
what is sublittoral/shelf/subtidal
- region of ocean floor that is below the lowest point of the tide
- usually very productive
what is bathyal
region between shelf and abyssal
what is abyssal
region after bathyal but before hadal (very very deep region)
what is hadal
below 6000 m
what is neritic
water above the shelf
what is oceanic
water not above the shelf
what is epipelagic
- water at the very top
- above 200m
what is the photic zone
- water where photosynthesis can take place
- up to 200m
what is mesopelagic
-200m - 700/1000m
- no photosynthesis but some animals with big eyes can see
-twilight zone
what is bathypelagic
- 700/1000m - 2000/4000m
- most ocean is here
what at abyssalpelagic
-2000/4000m - 6000m
what is hadalpelagic
- under 6000m
what is aphotic
-region of water where photosynthesis cannot take place
- everything under 200m
what is plankton
- live in water column, generally at whim of current
- some can swim
what is nekton
- animals that can swim against current
what is neuston
- animals on surface of water
- walk on or under water
- use surface tension
what is pleuston
- above and below surface
- ex. man of war, floating on water but tentacles are below the surface
what is epifaunal/benthic
- sits on sand
what is semi-infaunal
- partly in sand
what is infaunal
- completely in sand
what is demersal
- not on the bottom but very close
how are marine organisms distributed
- Organisms are distributed across the ocean zones based on their adaptive features
- Most of the ocean is in the aphotic zone where light is a limiting factor
- Organisms are adapted to survive in specific areas of the ocean
- The suite of species we see today are the result of evolution
formation of the oceans
- Atmosphere, oceans and continents are result of crustal differentiation under gravity
- Continents “float” on the ocean crust
Ocean and marginal seas
- The world’s oceans: oceans and marginal seas
- Oceans cover 71% of earth’s surface
- Southern hemisphere 80%, Northern hemisphere 61%
- 84% deeper than 2000m
- Greatest depth ~ 11,000 m in Marianas Trench
Marginal seas
- Examples: Gulf of Mexico, Mediterranean Sea
- Affected strongly by:
– regional climate
– precipitation-evaporation balance
– river input of fresh water and dissolved solids
– limited exchange with the open ocean
– Geological history