Marine biology

The marine biology is the study which includes all aspects of life at sea and half environment on which it depends. This includes marine plants , animals, and other organisms , both vertebrates and invertebrates , in deep oceans, shallow seas, and also within the laboratory. The main goals of marine biology are to improve understanding of the marine world and to understand and predict changes in ecosystems affected by human and natural disturbances .

Definition

Marine biology is a science that is responsible for studying the different biological processes and the relationship they have with the environment and with marine aquatic organisms , from microscopic to macroscopic for the conservation of natural resources and their relationship with being. human , which can adapt or modify its environment according to the needs, but also has the obligation to make a rational use and a comprehensive management of resources.

Characteristics of marine biology

The main characteristics of marine biology are the following:

• Three different aspects are enclosed within it, the environment , aquatic organisms and man .
• It includes the study of microscopic life , plants , algae , invertebrate animals , fish and reptiles .
• It is in charge of studying the different types of marine habitats that exist.
• It also covers notions and concepts from the areas of biology , geography , physics , chemistry, and geology .
• It is a discipline that is also related to different activities and sectors .
• It is also related to aquaculture production .

What do you study

Marine biology is the science that is responsible for studying living beings that live within marine ecosystems and also studies the different biological elements that make it up, such as flora and fauna . It is in charge of doing research work on the physical and chemical elements that the aquatic environment possesses with the aim of integrally maintaining all the species that inhabit the sea and improving its resources at the same time . It also studies the sciences related to the sea that include geology, geography, chemistry, physics andbiology that are necessary to characterize the marine environment.

History

Studies on the sea and its inhabitants probably began at the precise moment when man observed the sea. In the nineteenth century, Charles Darwin made a trip on the Beagle in which he began to discover a large number of species that until then were unknown , and began a description of each of them explaining their functions among other things. The second expedition that brought marine biology to develop was the Challenger , where a group of scientists made a trip to study the sea.

At the end of the 19th century , marine biology began to focus on the classification and systematic analysis of ecosystems , the roles of each of the animals that comprise it, and the way marine life behaves. By the twentieth century, oceanographers were intensively studying marine locations of great importance. After the Second World War , the observation of the marine inhabitants within their natural habitats was possible thanks to the invention of underwater cameras , diving equipment andsubmersible boats .

What is marine biology for?

Marine biology is a science that serves to carry out a large number of studies on the marine ecosystem , on the depths of the oceans , estuaries and wetlands . Investigate all kinds of aspects that are related to the sea and its life , vegetation , organism , fauna and flora . Its main objective is to understand the different oceanic phenomena that help to control the distribution of organisms, how they adapt to different chemical properties andphysics , water movements and ocean currents.

Branches

The branches that marine biology includes are the following:

• Phycology : it is the branch that is responsible for studying algae that are the basis of much of life under water. Study the environmental changes that affect the underwater ecosystem , which first affect the algae and then spread to the rest of the animals.
• Herpetology : study amphibians and reptiles .
• Ichthyology : it studies everything related to fish and it is a fairly broad branch.
• Marine Mamalogy : studies only mammals such as whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions and walruses. Research is done on their eating habits , mating habits , and their sense of community .
• Oceanography : it is the branch of marine biology that is responsible for studying the sea depths and everything related to them, it studies the physical , chemical , and dynamic aspects closely related to the seas and oceans .
• Environmental studies : is responsible for studying the effects that the environment suffers on marine creatures . A study done on the creatures that are affected by changes or imbalances of the marine ecosystem as temperatures warmer water and pollution of water by various toxic substances.

Marine biology by country

• Mexico : this country is considered one of the most diverse in terms of biodiversity . Approximately 10,000 kilometers are of coastline including a large number of marine animals , flora and other organisms . Due to the productive sector, marine biology has been affected and have deteriorated for this reason a lot of ecological systems have suffered serious damage.
• Argentina : the one in charge of caring for and studying marine life is the Argentine Institute of Oceanography . This institution is in charge of carrying out quantitative and qualitative analyzesof themarine zooplankton , the study of fish and the management of the protected areas that the country has.
• Spain : Spain has the European Center for Marine Biology Research . This is the most important institution in all of Europe that conducts research in the area and also has important research centers that help manage marine resources, develop technological activitiesand carry out studies on pollution to improve the oceans.
• Ecuador : in the country there are many professionals who contribute daily in the field of marine biology through research and conservation of the marine world and biodiversity, responsibly managing natural resources and also improving the quality of life of the being. human.

Study marine biology

To study marine biology, the person must be dedicated to the study and conservation of marine life and all the elements that it contains. It should focus on the comprehensive conservation of marine species. The marine biology degree lasts approximately five years and they can also obtain a specialty such as ichthyology, herpetology, ficology, pollution, etc. This type of career takes place at a university .

A marine biologist can dedicate himself to work in the different government agencies that are dedicated to the marine environment , be it fishing or environmental , they can also collaborate with their work in different marine investigations and in companies that are productive from the point of view of marine biology, in biotechnological research centers and in universities .

Importance

Marine life is important to the world at large. The study of marine biology represents in itself, the expansion of resources and knowledge for the human being with respect to the sea. It is of great importance because through this science a series of studies and investigations with respect to marine life can be made . His studies make the human being capable of understanding the importance of the marine ecosystem and everything that is related to it, in order to obtain food , medicine and raw materials without damaging the environment..

Books

Some books that have been written on marine biology include the following:

• Marine Biology by Peter Castro
• Marine Biology by G. Cognetti
• The Blue Planet by Sergio Rossi
• Oceans, fish and dishes by Oscar Caballero