Marine
Biology
Dr. Craig S. Kasper
Jaques Yves Cousteau, 1910-1997
What is Marine Biology?
§Studying organisms that live in the
sea (scientific).
Why study it?
§Beauty, mystery, variety, fortune,
glory?
§All may be true, but some reasons
are also practical!
Introduction
§ Life may have origins in the sea.
§ Ilya Metchnikof (1900) discovered animal
immune system in marine anemones.
Introduction
§ Seafood!
§ Medicine: alginates, vaccines, essential oils,
proteins, etc.
§ The cure for cancer may very well lie
within sharks or other marine life!
§ Raw materials:
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Iron
Sulfer
Oil
Salt (more later)
Etc.
It’s not ALL good!
§ Some marine life destroys, harms, or in
other ways is detrimental to humans.
However, the converse is also true…
Commercial Diver Repairing Damaged Structure
Portuguese Man-O-War
Who Can Be a Marine Biologist?
§ Anyone!
§ It’s really basic science
applied to the sea, not the
sea applied to science.
§ Nearly ALL disciplines are represented in
Marine Science (Biology)
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Archeaology
Biology
Botany
Chemistry
Geology
Ichthyology
Oceanography
Physiology
Physics
Seismology
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Medicine
Welding
Diving
Research
Education
Recreation
The list goes on and on…
History of Marine Biology:
§ Since we discovered the ocean,
we’ve been marine biologists!
§ Pacific Islanders—ocean subsistance
§Greeks—Aristotle (described marine life)
More history…
§ A.D. 995
L. Eriksson discovered “Vinland”
(N. America).
§ A.D. 1000 Arabs active in E. Africa, S. Asia, etc.
§ A.D. 1492 C. Columbus rediscovered New World.
More history…
§ A.D. 1519 F. Magellan circumnavigated
globe (accurate maps!)
§ A.D. 1786 J. Cook first scientific
observations (naturalist)
More history…
§ A.D. 1831 C. Darwin, known for
“natural selection,” but also described
how atolls are formed!
§ A.D. 1838 C. Wilkes
Charted 1500 miles of coastline
Collected 10,000 specimens (2000 new).
First effort sponsored by U. S. gov’t!
Wilkes
§ A.D. 1840 Edward Forbes sea floor dredging (new organisms)
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§ Led the way for Challenger Expedition…laid the foundation for
modern marine science.
§ All this science led to the formation of some pretty cool
stuff!!!
Woods Hole 1888.
§ Marine Labs boomed!
Woods Hole, Today
RV/Thomsas G. Thompson
Alvin
Aquarius Underwater Laboratory, Florida Keys
R/V FLIP (floating instrument platform)
“Cool pics Dr. K, but what’s this stuff REALLY
about??”
§ Remember: It’s cool, but we’re still bound by
science here!
§ The Scientific Method.
§ Deduction vs. Induction
Next time…
Read
Castro and
Huber
Chapter 2:
The Sea
Floor
Text Art 1.01
Text Art 1.02
Text Art 1.03
Figure 1.07
Figure 1.08
Figure 1.11a
Figure 1.13
Figure 1.14a
Figure 1.14b
Figure 1.15