The Science of Marine Biology

Definition of Marine Biology The study of the organisms that live in the sea

Reasons to Study Marine Biology Huge source of human wealth Provides humans with food, medicines, and raw materials Recreation Tourism

Reasons to Study Marine Biology Understand how marine organisms can cause problems Harm humans directly by attacking them or causing diseases Harm humans indirectly by injuring or killing other marine organisms that are used for food and other purposes Erode piers, walls, ship bottoms and pipes

Reasons to Study Marine Biology Helps determine the nature of our planet since marine organisms produce much of the oxygen we breathe Regulate Earth’s climate Shorelines are protected and shaped by marine life Marine organisms can create new land

Early people started learning about marine biology through observations Piles of shells found from the Stone Age As people gained seamanship and navigation skills, they were able to gain more knowledge

Aristotle Greek philosopher Considered to be the first marine biologist Described many forms of marine life Recognized that gills are the breathing system for fish

Important Years A.D Leif Eriksson led a Viking party which discovered Vineland  now North America Christopher Columbus rediscovers the “New World”  word hadn’t reached Europe about Eriksson’s findings Ferdinand Magellan embarks on the first expedition to said around the world

James Cook In 1768, Cook began his first of 3 voyages to explore all of the oceans First to complete the following: See Antarctic ice fields Land in Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti, and other Pacific Islands Use a chronometer  an accurate timepiece which enabled him to accurately determine his longitude and help him prepare reliable charts

James Cook cont. Extended and reshaped the European concept of the world Brought back specimens of plants and animals

Charles Darwin In 1831, Darwin was brought on the HMS Beagle as a naturalist Common practice to bring a naturalist on expeditions HMS Beagle’s primary mission was to map coastlines Made detailed observations of all aspects of the natural world  allowed him to propose the evolutionary theory of natural selection Explained the formation of distinctive rings of a coral reef called atolls Used nets to capture plankton (tiny, drifting organisms)  marine biologists still use this technique today

United States Exploring Expedition Took place from Often called “Wilkes Expedition” after leader Lt. Charles Wilkes of the US Navy Expedition charted 2,400 km (1,500 mi) of the coast of Antarctica Allowed Antarctica to be confirmed as a continent First international survey sponsored by the United States government Laid the foundation for government funding of scientific research

Edward Forbes Carried out extensive dredging of the sea floor in the Aegean Sea and around Britain in the 1840s and 1850s One of the most influential marine biologists of his day Discovered many organisms Recognized that sea floor life varies at different depths Inspired new interest in the life of the sea floor

HMS Challenger December 1872, the HMS Challenger set off to explore the sea floor First major oceanographic expedition funded by the British government under the leadership of Charles Wyville Thompson British navy supplied a light warship that was transformed into a ship appropriate for sea floor exploration Laboratories and gear for dredging and taking water samples were installed

HMS Challenger cont. Crew sailed around the world for 3 ½ years collecting data Took 19 years to publish the findings which filled 50 thick volumes Expedition set new standards for exploring the ocean Measurements were made systematically and meticulous records were kept

HMS Challenger cont. Expedition gave a more coherent picture of the ocean and the marine life in it One of the most important voyages in the history of oceanography Helped lay the foundation for modern marine science

Early expeditions only allowed for preserved specimens to be taken to be studied Didn’t allow marine biologists to observed how these specimens lived in the water Henri Milne Edwards and Victor Andouin began to make regular trips to the seashore to observe how marine organisms lived the laboratory of the Marine Biological Society of the United Kingdom was founded in Plymouth, England One of first permanent labs set up along the seashore

Marine Biological Laboratory First major American marine laboratory Located in Woods Hole, Massachusetts Louis Agassiz- one of the first main marine biologists who studied organisms there from the Wilkes Expedition Still one of the world’s most prestigious marine stations

World War II Onset of World War II had a major impact in the development of marine biology New technology Sonar (sound navigation ranging)- based on the detection of underwater echoes Developed in response to growing importance of submarine warfare Allowed marine biologists to see that the ocean was filled with various sounds made by different animals

World War II cont. Scuba- self-contained underwater breathing apparatus Jacques Cousteau modified the apparatus to allow the person to breath compressed air under water Allowed marine biologists to go below the surface for extended periods of time to observe marine organisms in their natural environment  could collect specimens and perform experiments

High-tech submarines allow scientists to explore deeper parts of the ocean Alvin- famous deep-sea submarine operated by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute Underwater robots take pictures, make measurements, and collect samples in the oceans depths Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs)- controlled from the surface Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs)- preprogrammed to do their job independently of direct human control

Automated instrument buoys- drift with the currents or a moored in place and collect oceanographic data over long periods Instrument packages- rest on the sea floor to collect data Marine animals (ex. penguins and elephant seals) can be fitted with electronic sensors to record oceanographic data in the course of the animal’s normal movements

Labs located all along coastlines  allow scientists and students to further their research Computers- allow scientists to rapidly analyze huge amounts of information Remote sensing- technology used to study the earth and its oceans from afar Allow knowledge of ocean currents Track migration of whales, fish, and other organisms that are fitted with mini transmitters

Electronic buoys- can be released at oil spill sites to drift along with the oil and track the path of the spill Satellites- can capture a broader area of the ocean all at once Measure the temperature of the sea surface Track ocean currents Determine abundance and kinds of organisms present Monitor human impact on oceans