Marine biology

Marine biology is the study of animal and plant life within waterbound ecosystems. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology deals with those species in which life is spent only (or mainly) in the water, thus its classification is based on the environment rather than on taxonomy.

How oceanic factors affect distribution of various organisms

An active research topic in marine biology, is discovering and mapping the life cycles of various species and where they spend their time. Marine Biologists study how the ocean currents and tides affect ocean life, and the effect of the multitudes of other oceanic factors on their growth, distribution and well being. This has only recently become technically feasible with the advances in GPS and newer underwater visual devices.

Related Topics:
Life cycle - Ocean current - Tide - GPS

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Most ocean life and fish breed in specific places, nest or not in others, spend their time as juveniles in still others, and in maturity in yet others. Scientists were at a loss for quite a while as to the location of many species during different parts of their life cycles. In fact where sea turtles travel is still largely unknown. Tracking devices just don't work for some life forms, and the rigors of the ocean are not friendly to technology. But these factors are being overcome in many instances.

Related Topics:
Sea turtle - Technology

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