Some of the topics to be covered in this course: Describe the methods used by marine scientists List the major components and properties of seawater Differentiate between abiotic and biotic factors in the marine environment and their effects Identify the adaptations of marine organisms to their environment Distinguish between the major groups of organisms in the ocean Explain and provide examples of the following interactions between organisms: competition, predator-prey, and symbiosis (e.g. mutualism) Use examples of marine communities to illustrate themes in community ecology Describe some of the human uses and current problems of the marine world Identify current and future research emphases in marine biology.

Marine Science can be defined as the process of discovering the facts, processes, and unifying principles that explain the nature of the oceans and their associated life forms. Marine science consists of four branches of oceanography Oceanography is the science of recording and describing the ocean’s contents and processes.

The four main branches of oceanography: Biological oceanography (Marine biology) Chemical oceanography Geological oceanography Physical oceanography

Biological oceanography (also called marine biology) studies the diversity of life in the ocean and the ocean’s role as their habitat. Chemical oceanography studies the chemistry of seawater Geological oceanography concerns itself with the geology of the ocean Physical oceanography is the study of the physics within the marine environment

Marine science draws on physical science, life science, and Earth and space science Physical science is the study of matter and energy (chemistry and physics) Life science is the study of living things and their interactions with their environment (physiology, biology, ecology) Earth and space science is the study of the physical Earth, the solar system, the universe, and their interrelationships. (Geology, astronomy, astrophysics)

Because marine science is a broad field, marine scientist need more than a formal education in the sciences. mathematics History Technology Social sciences Literature arts