Marine Biology - Lec 1

• marine biology is the study of life in the oceans or the study of marine organisms, their behaviors and interactions with the

  environment.
• Marine biologists study biological oceanography and the associated fields of marine organisms
• Molecular biology is a related area of specialization in marine biology
• Researchers apply molecular techniques to environments ranging from coastal marshes to the deepsea and to various organisms such as viruses, plants, and fish.
• The coastal regions are home to 40% of the global population.
• The ocean gives us life. It feeds us, entertains us, connects us and inspires us.
• The ocean economy contributes over $1.5 trillion annually, supporting diverse cultures and economies.
• The ocean, a major carbon and heat sink, absorbs over 90% of excess heat and 30% of human-induced CO2 emissions.
• Oceans cover greater than 70% of the earth's surface
• Most important reason to protect the oceans is to preserve the biodiversity of the earth.
• Coral reefs, salt marshes, estuaries and mangrove and seagrass beds are just a few of the ocean environments which support a large number of different species of organisms – that is, have a high biodiversity.
• Marine organisms produce over half of the oxygen that land animals currently need to breathe
• Organisms evolved that could use carbon dioxide, along with solar radiation, to produce metabolic energy and oxygen - a process called photosynthesis.
• algae and a variety of phytoplankton had been using photosynthesis long before terrestrial plants appeared
• Primary producers are organisms that reduces carbon dioxide and produce oxygen
• atmospheric oxygen increased to roughly the level of today, setting the stage for aquatic animals and plants to make the transition onto land.
• The oceans carry out about 50% of global primary production and support the greatest biodiversity on the planet
• Oceans are also one of the largest carbon reservoirs on Earth holding up to 54 times more carbon than the atmosphere.
• Oceans regulate the earth system
• Oceans supply living and non-living resources
• Oceans provide social and economic goods and services
• ocean currents transport large amounts of heat and water around the world and constantly interact with the atmosphere, which enables the ocean to act as a heat sink.
• The ocean influences weather and climate by storing solar radiation, distributing heat and moisture around the globe, and driving weather systems.
• The majority of radiation from the sun is absorbed by the ocean
• The ocean doesn't just store solar radiation - it also helps to distribute heat around the globe.
• When water molecules are heated, they evaporate. Increasing the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air to form rain and storms that are then carried by trade winds.
• The tropics are particularly rainy because heat absorption, and thus ocean evaporation, is highest in this area.
• Outside of Earth’s equatorial areas, weather patterns are driven largely by ocean currents
• Ocean currents act much like a conveyor belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics.
• Without currents in the ocean, regional temperatures would be more extreme
• The movement of carbon from one place to another, caused by natural and human processes, is known as the carbon cycle.
• Carbon doesn’t remain in one place, it is moved from one reservoir to another
• Surface waters exchange gases with the atmosphere, absorbing and releasing carbon dioxide, oxygen, and other gases.
• Phytoplankton convert carbon dioxide into sugars that feed marine ecosystems
• Cold water absorbs more carbon dioxide than warm water
• The oceans are a major source of food
• Blue (marine) biotechnology is an emerging sector with huge potential to use marine biological systems and living organisms or derivatives to produce innovative products and services for the health and beauty and medical industries.
• Potential bioactive compounds obtained from different marine source.
• Potential utilization of marine by-products in cosmetics
• Many industrial processes worldwide rely on the marine environment for resources, such as oil, gas and marine aggregates.