INTRODUCTION TO MARINE BIOLOGYAt the Beginning

How much of our planet is ocean?

How much of the ocean is explored?

How many oceans do we have?

How do oceans form?

The Earth (and other planets) was created by aggregates of dust, solid matter and gases.

The Earth was a ball of molten and solid rocks. Overtime, water started to accumulate in the atmosphere and rain down to the

surface to create shallow seas.

But the Atmosphere wasn’t what we know today, it was only about 1% oxygen so it would not support the life that we know.

Somehow, life happened. The first beings were prokaryotes and some of them were photosynthetic. Oxygen began to increase in the

atmosphere until it resembled something of what we have today.

Life became predominantly aerobic with a little bit of anaerobic thrown in. This led to the development of the Ozone and a barrier for the planet to block out harmful radiation. (but you knew this.)

Soon organisms evolved to live on land and in the seas. woohoo.

So that was the beginning, quickly.

Closer to today…..

The Ocean Floor

Theory of Continental Drift

continents drifted (shifted) over time. From Pangaea to modern day globe. -this doesn’t happen. But this does.

Seafloor Spreading and Plate Tectonics

Continental driftseafloor spreadingmid-ocean ridgemid-ocean rift

trenchabyssal plain

continental shelfcontinental slope

Islandsseamounts

oceanic crust continental crust

Words to KNOW

Define in YOUR OWN WORDS,

give an example, i.e. Islands Hawaiian

Draw a representation

youtube playlist oceanography

hydrothermal vents