Intro to Biological
Oceanography
Classification of organisms
Biodiversity
• The term Biodiversity
refers to the variety of life in a given area.
• Because there is such great biodiversity on Earth, a form
system is used to classify or categorize each type of org
• We call this classification taxonomy
Taxonomy
• A taxonomist is a scientist
who classifies organisms in
an ordered system that
indicates evolutionary
relationships.
• Aristotle developed the first
system of classification
• Carolus Linnaeus developed
a formal system of naming
organisms in two parts in
Latin we use today
http://creationsafaris.com/images/linnaeus.jpg
Taxonomy
• This is called
binomial nomenclature.
• Both names are italicized.
• First word is capitalized,
second word is lower
case.
• Ex: Tursiops truncatus
Genus
Species
Common name: Bottlenose dolphin
Binomial Nomenclature
• This naming system allows scientists across the
planet to know which organism is which.
• While one culture may call a lion a lion, another
culture may call it löwe.
• Across the planet, scientists can all use the same
name Panthera leo.
Taxonomy
• "Do keep piling chocolate on for goodness
sakes.“
• Domain
• Kingdom
• Phylum
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Genus
• Species
Common name: Whale Shark
Domain Eukarya
◦ Kingdom Animalia
◦ Phylum Chordata
◦ Class Chondrichthyes
◦ Order Orectolobiformes
◦ Family Rhincodontidae
◦ Genus Rhincodon
◦ Species R. typus
Common name: By the wind sailor
Example: Velella velella
3 Domains
• Eukarya – All eukaryotic
organisms
• The only domain we will
cover
• Archae – archaebacterial
(extreme bacteria)
• Eubacteria – common
bacteria
Animal Diversity
• 6 Kingdoms
•
•
•
•
•
•
Animalia
Plantae
Fungi
Protista
Archae
Bacteria
Multiple Phyla
• Divided into about 33 major groups
• Each Phylum represents a distinct body plan.
• The difference between phyla is much greater
than the difference between species within an
individual phylum.
• The vast majority of all animal species (over
95%) belong to “Big Nine”.
“The Big Nine”
• Chordata – has a notochord (precursor to backbone)
“The Big Nine”
• Echinodermata – spiny skin Ex: Sea star, urchins
“The Big Nine”
• Mollusca – soft body Ex: Octopus, squid, clams
“The Big Nine”
• Cnidaria – Stinging cells Ex: Jellyfish, corals, anemones
“The Big Nine”
• Arthropoda – Jointed Appendages Ex: crabs, lobster
“The Big Nine”
• Porifera – Assymetry Ex: Sea Sponge
“The Big Nine”
• Nematoda, Annelida, Platyhelminthe - Worms
Classification graphic organizer
Animal Diversity
• Out of all these phyla, only one
is not represented in the ocean
– the little velvet worm called
onychphorans
• By contrast 14 of them are only
found in the ocean.
http://animais.culturamix.com/blog/wp-content/gallery/animais-emextincao-onychophora/animais-em-extincao-onychophora-2.jpg
Animal Diversity
• The animal diversity in the ocean is much
greater than it is on land….and….
• Many new ocean species have yet to be
discovered!!!
Animal Diversity – not in notes
• For example – In 1998 scientists
discovered that what had
previously been viewed as two
species of commercially
valuable deep-sea crabs was
really 18 different species!!
http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/img/bt4f7530ba.jpg
Animal Diversity
• In 2001 a 23 foot squid was discovered.
• In 2003 a blood red, 2-3 foot long jelly fish with no
tentacles was discovered.
• These are just examples of the
ocean species being discovered
all the time…. Many more are yet to
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2014
• Skeleton shrimp
• Walking Bamboo Shark
• Unusual marine species
The Underappreciated Multitudes
(Back to notes)
• Animals seem to get most of the attention when we talk about
diversity, but the ocean is full of plants, algae, bacteria, and
protists that often get overlooked (the remaining 4 kingdoms).
http://images.sciencedaily.co
m/2008/05/080515145350large.jpg
http://www.energyinsight.in
fo/ocean_algae_biomass.jpg
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The Underappreciated Multitudes
• Microscopic primary producers (single celled
algae) and other organisms capable of making
their own energy are the foundation of most
marine food webs.
• These organisms are able to make their own
energy from sunlight or chemicals.
The Underappreciated Multitudes
• Organisms that can make their own food are called
producers or autotrophs
• Organisms that use sunlight to make their own
food undergo the process of photosynthesis
• Organisms that use chemicals to make their own
food undergo the process of chemosynthesis