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Marine biology

Marine biology
Only 29 percent of the world surface is land. The rest is ocean, home to the marine lifeforms. The oceans average nearly four kilometres in depth and are fringed with coastlines that run for 360,000 kilometres.[1][2] A large proportion of all life on Earth exists in the ocean. Exactly how large the proportion is unknown, since many ocean species are still to be discovered. Marine life is a vast resource, providing food, medicine, and raw materials, in addition to helping to support recreation and tourism all over the world. Many species are economically important to humans, including food fish (both finfish and shellfish). History[edit] The observations made in the first studies of marine biology fueled the age of discovery and exploration that followed. The creation of marine labs was important because marine scientists had places to conduct research and process their specimens from expeditions. Subfields[edit] Related fields[edit] Animals[edit] Birds[edit] Fish[edit] Invertebrates[edit]

Marine Conservation Organizations MarineBio is deeply committed to marine conservation and founded on the concept that, by sharing the wonders of the ocean and marine life, people will be inspired to protect it. We hope you will consider becoming a MarineBio Conservation Society member to help us bring the ocean and the conservation message to as many people as possible. There are many other organizations working on marine conservation and other environmental issues such as biodiversity and global warming. We list them here both as a public service and to spread the word. Please Contact us if you have any comments, changes, or suggestions. » Invitation to fellow marine conservation groups For an objective annotated list of the organizations listed below and others, visit Mother Jones magazine's guide to environmental organizations The oceans are downstream of everything. Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition (ASOC) Blue Ocean Institute Blue Frontier Campaign Cetacean Alliance: Conservation International Environmental Defense

Marine Natural Products and Antagonistic Properties of Marine Organisms for Human Health | Pharma Asia Marine microorganisms are of considerable interest as a new promising source for bioactive substances. Posted on 01 October 2006 Dr. A. S. NinawePhD, Director,Department of Biotechnology,Block II, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road,New Delh As chemically interesting and bio- logically significant secondary metabolites, marine microorganisms are expected to serve as lead compounds for potential drug development or pharmacological tools for basic research in life sciences. The metabolic and physiological capabilities of marine microorganisms that allow them to survive on their unique habitats also provide a great potential for production of metabolites, which are not found in terrestrial environments. Figure 1. The ocean as a source Over the past decade, marine microbes have been recognized as an untapped resource for novel bioactive compounds. The marine environment ranges from nutrient-rich regions to nutritionally sparse locations where only a few organisms can survive. Life-saving drugs Enzymes

Seahorses, Seahorse Pictures, Seahorse Facts Seahorses are truly unique, and not just because of their unusual equine shape. Unlike most other fish, they are monogamous and mate for life. Rarer still, they are among the only animal species on Earth in which the male bears the unborn young. Found in shallow tropical and temperate waters throughout the world, these upright-swimming relatives of the pipefish can range in size from 0.6 inches (1.5 centimeters) to 14 inches (35 centimeters) long. Male seahorses are equipped with a brood pouch on their ventral, or front-facing, side. When mating, the female deposits her eggs into his pouch, and the male fertilizes them internally. Because of their body shape, seahorses are rather inept swimmers and can easily die of exhaustion when caught in storm-roiled seas. They anchor themselves with their prehensile tails to sea grasses and corals, using their elongated snouts to suck in plankton and small crustaceans that drift by.

Who Are The Extremophiles? Diatoms can be found living in a wide variety of extreme environments, including ancient Antarctic Ice. Some believe they may even exist on Europa and in interstellar dust. The above diatom, Surirella, was collected from the alkaline and hypersaline Mono Lake. Details An extremophile is an organism that thrives under "extreme" conditions. The term extremophile is relatively anthropocentric. Most terms used to describe extremophiles are generally straightforward. Acidophile: An organism that grows best at acidic (low) pH values. Cyanobacteria, the first ever oxygenic photosynthesizers, are said to be the source of chloroplasts in eukaryotes. Endolith: An organism that lives inside rock or in the pores between mineral grains.

Sea Shepherd ANIMAL KINGDOM :: SIMPLE ORGANISMS AND ECHINODERMS :: SPONGE image sponge Porous multicell organism, mostly marine (currently about 5,000 species); it anchors itself to a support and filters water to take in food particles. anatomy of a sponge pinacocyte Flat ectodermal cell forming the outer covering of the sponge. spongocoel Hollow portion of the sponge covered with choanocytes, in which water circulates before exiting through the osculum. mesohyl Gelatinous substance, rich in water, located between the ectoderm and the endoderm. endoderm Inner layer of the sponge formed of cells (choanocytes) whose role is mainly to feed the organism. ectoderm Outer layer of the sponge formed of cells (pinacocytes) whose role is mainly to protect the organism. incurrent pore Opening into the gastric cavity, through which water enters the sponge. osculum Large opening protected by spicules, through which the sponge discharges water from the gastric cavity. water flow Choanocyte flagella allow water to move inside the sponge, carrying oxygen and food particles to it. choanocyte

Earth's Oceans Advertisement. EnchantedLearning.com is a user-supported site. As a bonus, site members have access to a banner-ad-free version of the site, with print-friendly pages.Click here to learn more. (Already a member? Click here.) EnchantedLearning.comEARTH'S OCEANS: An Introduction Oceans cover about 70% of the Earth's surface. The oceans of Earth are unique in our Solar System. The oceans of Earth serve many functions, especially affecting the weather and temperature. The Earth's oceans are all connected to one another. There are also many seas (smaller branches of an ocean); seas are often partly enclosed by land. WEB LINKS ABOUT OCEAN LIFE, OCEANS AND WATER ON EARTHOcean Animal Printouts from Enchanted Learning. by Jeananda Col Enchanted Learning®Over 35,000 Web PagesSample Pages for Prospective Subscribers, or click below Click to read our Privacy Policy E-mail Copyright ©2000 EnchantedLearning.com ------ How to cite a web page

International Census of Marine Microbes (ICOMM) Sea Anemones As of July 1, 2013 ThinkQuest has been discontinued. We would like to thank everyone for being a part of the ThinkQuest global community: Students - For your limitless creativity and innovation, which inspires us all. Teachers - For your passion in guiding students on their quest. Partners - For your unwavering support and evangelism. Parents - For supporting the use of technology not only as an instrument of learning, but as a means of creating knowledge. We encourage everyone to continue to “Think, Create and Collaborate,” unleashing the power of technology to teach, share, and inspire. Best wishes, The Oracle Education Foundation MarBOL:: Marine Barcode of Life Initiative

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