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Zay Spencer
English 4
Mrs. Vogt
30 December 2011
Marine Biology
Marine biology is the scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or
brackish bodies of water. Marine biology classifies species based on the environment
rather than the taxonomy. Marine biology differs from marine ecology as marine ecology
is focused on how organisms interact with each other and the environment, and biology
is the study of organisms themselves. 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 significally to the oxygen cycle, and are
involved in the regulation of the earth’s climate. Shorelines are shaped and protected by
marine life, and some marine organisms help create new land. Marine biology study’s
habitats such as coral reefs, kelp forests, tide pools, muddy, sandy and rocky bottoms,
and the open ocean zone. A large proportion of all life on earth exists in the oceans, the
proportion is unknown many ocean species are still to be discovered. Oceans constitute
about 71% of the earth’s surface. A subfield of marine biology studies the relationships
between oceans and ocean life, and global warming and environmental issues. Marine
biology is a branch of oceanography and is linked to biology. In reality the job title of
marine biology rarely exist. For Marine Biological careers prepatory courses in basic
biology, zoology, chemistry, physics, biometrics, mathematics, and statistics are
important. English Is important because one of the most important activities of a marine
biologist is to write scientific papers and get them published. Courses in aquatic
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sciences such as fishery biology, ichthyology, and oceanography are also important.
Some schools offer a marine biology degree and most of these are located in the
coastal states. Biological oceanographers study both the biological and physical
aspects of the sea and their interactions. A bachelors or masters degree is usually
required for most starting marine biological research jobs. The usual education level
required to carry out independent research in biology is a Ph.D. The employment
outlook in this field is highly competitive. Other employers are local governments,
museums, colleges and universities, and private research laboratories or consulting
firms. As strong background in advanced mathematics and computer skills in addition to
course work in the animal and aquatic sciences. More universities are offering courses
and programs in fisheries or wildlife management. Marine biology is also the study of
marine organisms, their behaviors, and their interactions with the environment. Marine
biology is considered one of the most all-encompassing fields of oceanography. To
understand marine organisms, marine biologist must have a basic understanding of the
other aspects or disciplines of oceanography such as chemical oceanography, and
geological oceanography. Many researchers select a particular interest and specialize
in it. It can be based on a particular species, organism, behavior, technique, or
ecosystem. In marine biology there’s environmental biology and toxicology. Examples
include water quality research and the study of contaminants or pollution in the coastal
or marine environment. Laws, regulations, and cleanup measures designed to protect
the environment will ensure that marine and environmental biologists and consultants
continue to play an important role in our society.
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Deep sea is nothing but the stumpy level in the marine that is found in the depth
of more than 1800 m. This area is completely dark because no light can make a way
inside it. 71 % portion of the earth is occupied by water and people are utilizing ocean
for various purposes such as transportation, fishing, exploration and many more.
However, the deep part of the sea is still remains untouched. Deep sea creatures are
nothing but fishes and other animals that survive down in the deepest part of the
marine. The coral reef is a platform for these far-fetched living things.The most toxic
waste material dumped into the ocean includes dredged material, industrial waste,
sewage sludge, and radioactive waste. Dredging contributes about 80% of all waste
dumped into the ocean, adding up to several million tons of material dumped each year.
Rivers, canals, and harbors are dredged to remove silt and sand buildup or to establish
new waterways. About 20-22% of dredged material is dumped into the ocean. The
remainder is dumped into other waters or landfills and some is used for development.
About 10% of all dredged material is polluted with heavy metals such as cadmium,
mercury, and chromium, hydrocarbons such as heavy oils, nutrients including
phosphorous and nitrogen, and organ chlorines from pesticides. Waterways and,
therefore, silt and sand accumulate these toxins from land runoff, shipping practices,
industrial and community waste, and other sources. When these materials find their way
into the ocean, marine organisms suffer toxic effects and seafood is often contaminated.
In the 1970s, 17 million tons of industrial waste was legally dumped into the ocean. In
the 1980's, 8 million tons were dumped including acids, alkaline waste, scrap metals,
waste from fish processing, flue desulphurization, sludge, and coal ash. Radioactive
waste is also dumped in the oceans and usually comes from the nuclear power process,
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medical use of radioisotopes, research use of radioisotopes and industrial uses. The
difference between industrial waste and nuclear waste is that nuclear waste usually
remains radioactive for decades. dissolved nutrients cause oxygen-depleting bacteria
and plants to proliferate creating a hypoxic, or oxygen poor, environment that kills
marine life. In addition to eutrophication, ocean dumping can destroy entire habitats and
ecosystems when excess sediment builds up and toxins are released. Although ocean
dumping is now managed to some degree and dumping in critical habitats and at critical
times is regulated, toxins are still spread by ocean currents. Alternatives to ocean
dumping include recycling, producing less wasteful products, saving energy and
changing the dangerous material into more benign waste. The amount of ocean
dumping actually brings in less pollution than maritime transportation, atmospheric
pollution, and land based pollution like run-off. What we produce on land, including
nitrogen-rich sewage and fertilizer, can ultimately find its way to the seas. Nitrogen
stimulates the growth of macro algae, or seaweed. Sewage is also harming coral
worldwide. While investigating the death of 38 percent of Florida Keys coral reefs over
the last five years, University of Georgia researchers discovered bacteria and viruses
found in human sewage in coral with deadly white pox disease. “Americans drink more
bottled water than any other nation, purchasing an impressive 29 billion bottles every
year. Making all the plastic for those bottles uses 17 million barrels of crude oil annually.
That is equivalent to the fuel needed to keep 1 million vehicles on the road for 12
months. If you were to fill one quarter of a plastic water bottle with oil, you would be
looking at roughly the amount used to produce that bottle. (National Geographic)The
recycling rate for those 29 billion bottles of water is low; only about 13 percent end up in
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the recycling stream where they are turned into products like fleece clothing, carpeting,
decking, playground equipment and new containers and bottles. In 2005, that meant
approximately 2 million tons of water bottles ended up in U.S landfills.(NRDC) Plastic
bottles takes centuries to decompose and if they are incinerated, toxic byproducts, such
as chlorine gas and ash containing heavy metals, are released into the atmosphere.
The Earth Policy Institutes estimates that the energy used to pump, process, transport
and refrigerate bottled water is over 50 million barrels of oil annually.