The Ocean

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The ocean covers 72% (and rising) of this small planet and is home to most of the globe's biomass, or living matter, and biodiversity. We know that from bacteria to plankton to the blue whale, life in the ocean greatly affects life on land, yet we know very little about the ocean. At least 80% is yet to be explored.

This section of MarineBio explores some of what is known about the ocean and provides an online introduction to marine biology and ocean science. Here we begin the journey into this planet's largest living space—The Ocean.

Ocean Science

The ocean is studied by separating it into different, though interrelated, scientific disciplines. To fully understand life in the sea we must consider the big picture: marine life and its interaction with its environment, as well as other life, including humans. The following sections will provide you with an overview of Marine Biology in terms of the physical, chemical, and biological marine environment. For a more thorough understanding of the following, we also recommend any of the outstanding Marine Biology textbooks we have listed on our book shop.


Ocean History The processes that have molded the ocean basins over billions of years.	Ocean Chemistry Ocean life is largely made up of the same chemicals that comprise the ocean.
Light & Color Sunlight in the sea and its interaction with ocean waters is a very important physical phenomenon...	Ocean & Temperature Ocean temperatures play vital roles in regulating our planet's climate and bringing nutrients to marine life.
Sounds of the Sea Sound travel underwater—the acoustics of the ocean. Can you hear me? Good...	Currents & Tides The effects and causes of the continuous flow of ocean water and its surface which is always rising and falling.
Ocean Geography Five "oceans" - Arctic, Atlantic, Indian, Pacific and Southern - covering ~71% of the Earth's surface...	Geological Marine Tectonic plates to the lives of creatures that exist in the most extreme environments.
Marine Zones Beaches, intertidal, epipelagic, pelagic, and benthic zones... ecosystems for every imaginable creature.	Estuaries, Salt Marshes & Mangroves Vital ecosystems and nursing grounds for marine life.
Continental Shelves Where most marine life lives and almost all fishing takes place...	The Open Ocean Everything outside of coastal areas... the wild blue yonder...
Arctic & Antarctic Places of abundant life, lots of ice and the coldest places on Planet Ocean.	The Deep Sea The cold, dark, deep that makes up 80% of the ocean living space.