Some of the topics to be covered in this course:Describe the methods used by marine scientistsList the major components and properties of seawaterDifferentiate between abiotic and biotic factors in the marine

environment and their effects Identify the adaptations of marine organisms to their

environmentDistinguish between the major groups of organisms in the oceanExplain and provide examples of the following interactions

between organisms: competition, predator-prey, and symbiosis (e.g. mutualism)

Use examples of marine communities to illustrate themes in community ecology

Describe some of the human uses and current problems of the marine world

Identify current and future research emphases in marine biology.

Marine Science can be defined as the process of discovering the facts, processes, and unifying principles that explain the nature of the oceans and their associated life forms.

Marine science consists of four branches of oceanography

Oceanography is the science of recording and describing the ocean’s contents and processes.

The four main branches of oceanography:Biological oceanography (Marine biology)Chemical oceanographyGeological oceanographyPhysical oceanography

Biological oceanography (also called marine biology) studies the diversity of life in the ocean and the ocean’s role as their habitat.

Chemical oceanography studies the chemistry of seawater

Geological oceanography concerns itself with the geology of the ocean

Physical oceanography is the study of the physics within the marine environment

Marine science draws on physical science, life science, and Earth and space sciencePhysical science is the study of matter and

energy (chemistry and physics)Life science is the study of living things and

their interactions with their environment (physiology, biology, ecology)

Earth and space science is the study of the physical Earth, the solar system, the universe, and their interrelationships. (Geology, astronomy, astrophysics)

Because marine science is a broad field, marine scientist need more than a formal education in the sciences.mathematicsHistoryTechnologySocial sciencesLiteraturearts