The Science of Marine Biology
Ch. 1
US and World Populaion Clock
Lets check it every 10 minutes
Objectives
1. Understand the brief history of marine
biology
2. Review the scientific method
3. Induction vs. deduction
What is biology?
The study of life
Zoology
Botany
Microbiology
What is marine biology?
Marine Biology: the science of biology applied to the
sea
What is marine science?
• Biological oceanography:
– Study of the biology, geography, and chemistry of the ocean
Timeline
Lets look at a student’s timeline from a couple
years ago.
What do YOU know about the
ocean?
• Think about it for a
minute and write a
few things down.
Be prepared to
share . . .
• What do you want
to know?
It began with a clam bake?
• People started learning about the
sea since the first time they saw
the ocean
• Stone age:
– clambakes about 3 million years
ago
• Polynesians
–
–
–
–
Around 4000 B.C.
Navigation, fishing, trading
Hawaii, 500 AD
NZ, 1000 AD
Where is Polynesia?
Phoenicians
• 2000 B.C. Phoenicians
– Mediterranean coast
– Extensive trade and
navy
Aristotle: the first marine
biologist
• Greek philosopher
• 384-327 B.C
• Described many forms
of sea life
• Recognized gills as
breathing apparatus of
fish
Darwin and Forbes
• HMS Beagle sailed
around the world in 1831
– Map coastlines; atolls;
barnacles; other sea life
• Forbes (1815-1854)
– focused on sea floor
– Azoic theory: life limited to
depth--no life past 1800 ft.
– disproved
The Challenger Expedition
•
•
•
•
•
1872-1876
First oceanographic expedition to circumnavigate the world
Thousands of specimens
19 years to publish results, 50 volumes thick
Laid the foundation for modern marine science
Permanent laboratories
• Stazione Zoologica
– Naples, Italy, 1872 -- first marine lab in the world
• Marine Biological Laboratory
– Woods Hole, Massachusetts, 1888 – first marine lab in the U.S.
• Scientists now able to work from shore
SONAR
• WW II (late 1930’s) --> submarine warfare --> SONAR
• SONAR:
– SOund NAvigation Ranging
• Ship emits loud sounds (pinging) and times how long it takes to
return. This determines depth.
Sidescan SONAR
• Sound energy continuously transmitted from towfish in the
shape of a fan that sweeps sea floor
• Records picture of ocean bottom
SCUBA
• SCUBA
– Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus
• Allow us to observe marine organisms in their environment
Modern Marine Science
• Alvin
– Brings us to the depths… (4000
m)
• Shinkai 6500 (Japanese)
– Can work down to 6500 meters!!!
• Remote sensing
– Using computers and satellites to
track SST, currents, organisms,
etc.
• FLIP (FLoating Instrument
Platform)
• Wave models for when I surf!
Scientific Method: Quick Review
• Scientific conclusions
MUST be based on
observations
• What’s a hypothesis?
– A statement that might be
true
– It can be tested
– No hypothesis can be
absolutely proved true
• What is a theory?
– A hypothesis that has been
accepted as “true” for the
time being b/c it has passed
test after test with a large
body of supporting evidence
– It can be overturned by new
evidence . . .
Observation is the key
• As we observe more
and more about the
ocean we seek to
explain our observations
• The water is red. Why?
What makes it red?
How will it affect
marine life? How will it
affect humans?
• Without observation,
science would cease to
exist . . .
Induction vs. Deduction
• Induction:
– Separate observations (small/specific)  arrive at general
conclusions (big/general)
– Scientific method: observe--> hypothesis-->
experiment--> theory
• Deduction:
– General principals (big/general)  specific conclusions
(small/specific)
– Begin with theory --> experiments and observations to test
theory
• Example with gravity
Human Population and the Ocean
•
•
•
•
Pass out human population statistics
What do you notice?
Make a graph
What do you notice about the curve? What’s this called?
How will this affect the ocean?
Exponential Growth
• Death rates continuing to decline. Why?
– Improvements in nutrition, sanitation, and health care
•
•
•
•
•
During 1650 to 1800 pop doubled to 1bil.
By 1930, doubled again to 2 bil.
Doubling to 4 bil took less than 50 years!
What type of curve? Why?
Constant rate of growth.
$$
• Find a partner
• Would you rather receive $1,000.00 per day
for a month OR start with $0.01 and double
your money each day for a month (30 days)
• Find the total
• $30,000.00
• 5,905,609,000 cents or $59,056,090.00!!
• This is exponential growth
Dead Zones due to humans?
• NPR interview on
dead zones
Are we still in the age of
discovery and exploration?
•
•
What is your opinion?
Assignment is two fold:
1.
2.
•
Do some research and write a
one paragraph answer to this
question. Provide at least two
sources to support your
opinion.
Second paragraph describes
your own personal history with
the ocean as well as the future.
What does the ocean mean to
you? How do you relate to it?
Be prepared to share this
with the class