Introduction and History

001a

What is Marine Biology?What is Marine Biology?• Marine biology - the study of organisms that Marine biology - the study of organisms that

live in the sea.live in the sea.

• Marine biology incorporates many other Marine biology incorporates many other sciences as well such as:sciences as well such as:– GeologyGeology– Chemistry Chemistry – PhysicsPhysics– Meteorology Meteorology – ZoologyZoology

Why Study Marine Biology?Why Study Marine Biology?1. Studying marine life forms can provide clue about 1. Studying marine life forms can provide clue about

early life on earth.early life on earth.

2. Many products come from the sea including.2. Many products come from the sea including.

– MedicinesMedicines– Food (fisheries)Food (fisheries)– ClothingClothing– AgarAgar– Building materialBuilding material

Why Study Marine Biology?Why Study Marine Biology?3. 3. The marine environment and its habitats The marine environment and its habitats

support recreation and tourism support recreation and tourism worldwide. worldwide.

4. Marine organisms produce oxygen used 4. Marine organisms produce oxygen used by aerobic organisms, including humans.by aerobic organisms, including humans.

Why Study Marine Biology?Why Study Marine Biology?

5. Oceans help to regulate climate.5. Oceans help to regulate climate.6. Marine organisms can cause 6. Marine organisms can cause

problems directly to human life or problems directly to human life or their property.their property.

7. Humans impact the health of the 7. Humans impact the health of the oceans:oceans:• Sea level riseSea level rise• Marine pollutionMarine pollution• Coral bleachingCoral bleaching• Depletion of fisheriesDepletion of fisheries

Marine Biology History

Explorers:• Vikings• Phoenicians• Polynesians• Columbus• Magellan• Cook

Migration Routes of Polynesia

• Scientific method (observation, inductive reasoning)

• Described hundreds of marine species • Dolphin is a mammal• The earth is round• Biology (spontaneous generation)

Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

Cook (1700’s)- sailed twice around the world

1st European to visit Hawaii

Cook

Pierre Dénys de Montfort (1766 – 1820)

Alfred Russel WallaceAlfred Russel WallaceAlfred Russel WallaceAlfred Russel Wallace

1823 - 1913

Voyage of the HMS BeagleVoyage of the HMS Beagle

Darwin (1831):

Subsidence theory of coral reef formation (atolls) & origin of species

Barrier Reef- separated from land by a lagoon

Fringing Reef- boarders coastline closely

Island subsides

Atoll- coral ring with central lagoon

lagoon is a shallow area with a sandy floor, patch reefs, and patches of seagrass

Darwin’s Theory of Coral Atoll Formation: Subsidence Theory

Fringing Reef- Tahiti

Australia- Great Barrier Reef

                                                            

Kaneohe Bay

Barrier ReefBarrier Reef

Fringing ReefFringing Reef Patch ReefPatch Reef

Atoll

Belize- Blue Hole

Kure Atoll (28° 25' N - 178° 20' W)Midway Atoll

Pearl & Hermes Atoll

• collected thousands of biological and sea bottom samples

• traveled in every ocean except arctic• cruise directed by Charles Wyville Thompson• 362 stations, 715 new genera, 5000 new

species• discovered Mariana

Trench and Mindarniad (34,000 ft deep)

Voyage of the HMS Challenger (1872-1876)

Voyage of the HMS Challenger (1872-1876)

HMS Challenger's Chemical Laboratory

Deep sea Collections

Ernest Haeckel (1834-1919)

1904

Rachel Louise Carson (1907-1964)

                      

    

Marine biologist at U.S. Bureau of Fisheries & Fish & Wildlife Service

Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer (1907-2004)

Margaret Mary Smith (wife of J.L.B. Smith)Sea Fishes

Pamanzi (Comores), 29th December 1952:

Jacque Cousteau (1910-1997) Navy officer, explorer, film maker, inventor of scuba (1947)

"From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to the earth. But man has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free.”

Eddie Widder

http://www.oceanrecon.org/cfiles/bioluminescence.cfm

Eugenie Clark

Sylvia Earle

“Her Deepness”

Hydrothermal Vents

• Alvin to Galapagos • Discovered hydrothermal vents• Sulfur-rich vents 660 oF, but quickly cool to 73 oF• Unique communities• New kingdom of bacteria

Ballard & Grassle (1977)

Late 19th century – early 20th century:

Founding a number of important marine laboratories, including coastal labs and open ocean labs.

                         

Founded 1903

Founded 1930

                                                  1888