Major Ideas
-Marine Biologists know most about coasts, coral reefs and kelp forests. Researchers are ignorant about the aspects of oceanic systems. Particularly -about life in the mid waters, between 100 meters and the near bottom realm of the deep sea.
-Marine animals display great diversity of body types than land animals do. Description requires more broad categories, or phyla. Of 33 animal phyla, 30 describe residents of the ocean. 15 exclusively. 16 phyla include animals on land or freshwater. Of the 16, one is exclusively terrestrial.
Phenomenon reflects the fact that life evolved in the sea, and few life forms were able to adapt to the loss of water around their bodies.
-One and a half million terrestrial species have been describe. Most of them are insects and vascular plants.
-Total estimates range from 5 million to more than 50 million.
-Of organisms that live in ocean, 250,000 species identified. Estimates from closer to 400,000 to 450,000.
-Count may change once scientists get a better grasp of life on the ocean floor.
-Experts predict that between 1 million and 10 million benthic species have yet to be described.
-Marine organisms seem odd to terrestrially biased people.
-Creatures glow in the dark, some are soft and boneless, and saltwater plants grow fast and die young.
-Differences arisen because of the physical and chemical characteristics of ocean.
-Seawater is 800 times dense as air and is much more viscous.
-Marine organisms and particles of food can float endlessly through water.
-Some organisms live in fixed places. Graze on food in water around them.
-Density of water buoys up organisms.
-The ocean is so big that scientists had only studied 10% of the entire ocean
-Aquatic animals are more diverse than land animals in terms of body type
-There are more land species than aquatic species
-Seawater is about 800 times as dense as air
-Water takes in light differently then air does. On top is are phytoplankton, as they sink, they are eaten
-The ocean cannot support much plant life because of the low nutrients compare to land
-The distribution of those few nutrients depends on water temperature
-Cold, heavy water is richly supplied with nutrients. Warmer waters have low nutrients because all of the phytoplankton have depleted them
-Areas such as the coasts are home to some of the largest fisheries
-Oxygen is richest at the bottom and surface of the water
-The pressure of the ocean can reach 1,100 atmospheres, which is 1,100x greater than normal air
-The only animals that can survive at this depth have a very special adaptation that allows them to live in this environment
-Though diversity of species is high at the ocean, population for each specie is quite low
-Deep-sea animals and invertebrate are slow. Some have poorly developed shells because it is difficult for Calcium Carbonate accumulation at such high pressure, if the creature has a skeleton it is lightweight
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What is the authors main purpose in this article?
The ocean is a mysterious but wonderful place, and most of it has not been discovered yet. Only 10% of the ocean has been researched. 250,000 species in the ocean have been identified. There are an estimated 400,000 to 450,000 species to exist in the oceans. Experts also predict that there are millions of species yet to be discovered in the benthic zone. If people want the ocean and the organisms to survive, we need to study how everything links together and how we can be harming the sea.The ocean provides the greatest diversity, however land species are more abundant. Aside from the deep, the surface or close to the surface of many aquatic environments bloom with life. Two very important settings makes this bloom of life possible: Kelp beds, and Coral reefs. Coral reefs are normally found in warmer waters while kelp beds are usually found in slightly cooler waters. The areas that scientists know the most about are usually found near shorelines. Sadly, these areas are also the most damaged.
What is your opinion?
Since i want to be a marine biologist when i grow up, it is good to know that most of the ocean we havent studied. it is good to know because then when i become a marine biologist i can go out and study those areas that havent been studies and find new species. i think that there are millions of species out in the ocean that we do not know of. The ocean is humongous and we are just a little bit compared to how many species there are in the ocean.
I think the ocean is the key thing we need to protect because it is most of our planet and without the ocean we would be nothing.
I think the ocean is the key thing we need to protect because it is most of our planet and without the ocean we would be nothing.