Monday, August 18, 2008

What is Marine Biology?

Marine biology is the scientific study of living organism in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water. 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 Marine organisms contribute significantly to the oxygen cycle, and are involved in the regulation of the earth's climate. Shorelines are in part shaped and protected by marine life, and some marine organisms even help create new land. It studies habitats such as coral reefs, kelp forests, tidepools, muddy, sandy and rocky bottoms, and the open ocean zone, where solid objects are rare and the surface of the water is the only visible boundary.A large amount of all life on Earth exists in the oceans. Exactly how large the proportion is still unknown. The oceans comprise about 71% of the Earth's surface.Many species are economically important to humans, including the food fishes. Large areas beneath the ocean surface still remain effectively unexplored.

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