Marine Life
Marine life is the essence of MarineBio, so in this section we explore the science, biology, taxonomy, morphology, behavior, and ecological relationships of marine life that inhabits our ocean.
Ocean Requiem from Howard Hall | Watch more in the Marine Life Video Library »
Marine Species Database
- Search/browse our growing database of endangered, threatened, and the most common marine species...
What is Marine Biology?
- Marine biology is the study of life in the oceans and other saltwater environments such as estuaries and wetlands. All plant and animal life forms are included from the microscopic picoplankton all the way to the majestic blue whale, the largest creature in the sea—and for that matter in the world...
A History of the Study of Marine Biology
- It wasn't until the writings of Aristotle from 384-322 BC that specific references to marine life were recorded. Aristotle identified a variety of species including crustaceans, echinoderms, mollusks, and fish...
The Naming of Life: Marine Taxonomy
- Marine taxonomy and the science of naming life and evolutionary relationships...
Forests of the Sea: Phytoplankton and Marine plants
- Phytoplankton, Diatoms, Dinoflagellates, Algae, Seagrasses, and Kelp Beds: Forests of the Sea...
Zooplankton
- Taxonomy, Nanoplanktonic Flagellates, Cnidarians, Rotifera, Chaetognatha, Marine Gastropods, Polychaeta, Copepods, Cladocerans, Krill, Insect Larvae, Tunicates...
Marine Invertebrates:
Sponges, Cnidarians, Worms, Lophophorates, Molluscs, Arthropods, Echinoderms, and Hemichordates are all animals that lack backbones and are known as invertebrates. Over 98% of species are invertebrates. Some invertebrate phyla have only one species, while others, like Arthropoda, include more than 83% of all described animal species with over a million species!
Coral Reefs
- Importance, variety and conservation issues...
Octopuses, squid, cuttlefish, and nautiloids
- Cephalopod species at MarineBio.org...
In the works:
- Arthropods (horseshoe crabs, sea spiders, lobsters, crabs, shrimp, and barnacles),
- Cnidarians (sea anemones, corals, sea pens, jellyfish, box jellies, and hydrozoans),
- Echinoderms (starfish, brittle stars, sea urchins, sand dollars, sea cucumbers, crinoids, and sea daisies),
- Hemichordates (acorn worms and Pterobranchia),
- Lophophorates (brachiopods, bryozoans, and horseshoe worms),
- Mollusks (bivalves, gastropods, cephalopods),
- Sponges (calcareous, glass, demosponges), and
- Worms (roundworms, ribbonworms, flatworms, spiny-headed, segmented, arrow, jaw, horsehair, phallus, and peanut worms).
Marine Vertebrates
- Marine vertebrates, classified under the Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata and Subphylum Vertebrata, are among the most structurally complex organisms. The seven main superclasses and classes in Vertebrata are: Agnatha, Amphibia, Aves, Chondrichthyes (“Condr-ICK-thees”), Mammalia, Osteichthyes (“Ostee-ICK-thees”), and Reptilia.
Marine Birds
- Penguins, puffins, pelicans, boobies, flamingo, etc.
Marine Fishes
- Jacks, cod, sailfish, scorpionfish, tuna, marlin, parrotfish, angelfish, barracuda, sea horses, eels, etc.
Marine Reptiles
- Sea turtles, the marine iguana, saltwater crocodile, and sea snakes.
Sharks & Rays
- Basking sharks, blue and bull sharks, the goblin sharks, great whites, hammerheads, lemon sharks, mantas and stingrays, nurse sharks, oceanic whitetips, tiger sharks, salmon sharks, threshers, whale sharks, wobbegongs, etc.
Marine Mammals
- For generations, whales and other marine mammals have intrigued humans. 2,400 years ago, Aristotle recognized that whales are mammals, not fish, because they nurse their young and breathe air like other mammals. There are numerous myths and legends surrounding marine mammals. The Greeks believed that killing a dolphin was as bad as murdering a human.
Seals & Sea Lions, Polar Bears, Sea Otters...
- Fur seals, sea lions, seals, polar bears, walruses and sea otters.
Whales & Dolphins (Cetaceans)
- Find out about 16 species of rare beaked whales, 28 species of dolphins, 6 species of porpoises, 6 species of baleen whales, the dwarf and pgymy sperm whales, 4 right whales, the gray whale, 6 river dolphins, the narwhal, beluga, and sperm whales.
Dolphins
- They're the acrobats and court jesters of the sea, troops of aerial spinners and wave dancers. Their long sleek bodies jet high into the air as they perform a grand ballet with tails propelling them as they skim each wave against the continuous horizon. Mesmerizing to watch, dolphins have been gliding, flipping and dancing into our hearts for centuries.
The Structures & Adaptations to Marine Living
- Here we look at the development and uses of marine body types, common characteristics like fins, scales and shells. We'll see how "different" marine life really is...
The Grazers & Predators
- Let's look at the different roles of marine life. We're familiar with grazers and predators on land, how do they behave in the sea..?
Marine Life Cycles
- We have fission, budding, eggs that hatch internally, eggs that hatch externally, live births, some start as plankton (zooplankton), some are born in fresh water, some are born on land...
Symbionts, Parasites, Hosts & Cooperation
- Every form of interaction between different species is seen in the sea. Some creatures depend on each other for food, protection or a just a safe place to lay eggs. A parasite isn't always bad... see examples of cooperation that we humans could learn from...
Marine Ecology
- Marine life habitats, populations and interactions among organisms and their environment...
Trophic Structure
- All organisms in an ecosystem can be placed in trophic levels depending what energy source they rely upon and how they provide energy for other organisms in their food web...
Biotic Structure
- The way organisms interact within ecosystems. Food webs vs food chains, trophic levels, symbiosis, predators...
Ecological Regulation
- Complex webs of factors that fit together to form balanced life systems capable of withstanding most changes...
Marine Life Photo Galleries
- Browse photos of marine life from some of the world's best photographers and MarineBio staff from around the world...
Marine Life Video Library
- Watch hours of videos from MarineBio Expeditions and across the Web of marine life and related movies, documentaries and even lectures...
Marine Life Forums
- Join discussions involving the latest research & news, marine conservation, marine animals & plants, and more...
Sharks & Rays | Fishes | Squid & Octopuses | Reptiles | Birds | Seals & Sea lions+ | Whales & Dolphins
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Sea Life News :: ScienceDailyCommon fungicide wreaks havoc on freshwater ecosystems
A new study on chlorothalonil, one of the world's most common fungicides, shows it was lethal to a wide variety of freshwater organisms.
Sulfur finding may hold key to Gaia theory of Earth as living organism
Is Earth really a sort of giant living organism as the Gaia hypothesis predicts? A new discovery may provide a key to answering this question. This key of sulfur could allow scientists to unlock heretofore hidden interactions between ocean organisms, atmosphere, and land -- interactions that might provide evidence supporting this famous theory.
Hidden lives of elephant seals: Record-setting dive more than a mile deep
The same researchers who pioneered the use of satellite tags to monitor the migrations of elephant seals have compiled one of the largest datasets available for any marine mammal species, revealing their movements and diving behavior at sea in unprecedented detail.
Ancient sea reptile with gammy jaw suggests dinosaurs got arthritis too
Imagine having arthritis in your jaw bones ... if they're over 2 meters long! A new study has found signs of a degenerative condition similar to human arthritis in the jaw of a pliosaur, an ancient sea reptile that lived 150 million years ago. Such a disease has never been described before in fossilized Jurassic reptiles.
Arctic seabirds adapt to climate change
The planet is warming up, especially at the poles. How do organisms react to this rise in temperatures? Biologists have now shown that little auks, the most common seabirds in the Arctic, are adapting their fishing behavior to warming surface waters in the Greenland Sea. So far, their reproductive and survival rates have not been affected. However, further warming could threaten the species.
The gut could reveal effect of climate change on fish
As sea temperatures rise, stocks of some fish species can decline while others may grow, reveals new research looking at gastrointestinal function in fish.
New species of fish in Sweden
Reticulated dragonet have been found in Väderöarna -- "Weather Islands" -- off the west coast of Sweden. It is not often that a new species of fish is discovered in Sweden.
Roadmap towards sustainable pole-and-line-caught tuna
New research offers a blueprint for the long-term sustainability of tuna caught using the pole-and-line method.
First satellite tag study for manta rays reveals habits and hidden journeys of ocean giants
Using the latest satellite tracking technology, conservationists have completed a ground-breaking study on a mysterious ocean giant: The manta ray.
First forecast calls for mild Amazon fire season in 2012
Forests in the Amazon Basin are expected to be less vulnerable to wildfires this year, according to the first forecast from a new fire severity model.
What do marine snails and insulin have in common? New approach to treat diabetes?
The cone snails are predators of the sea. They capture fish by injecting a venom into the prey that consists of a cocktail of different substances. The single components of the snails' venom, so-called conopeptides, are known for their extraordinary pharmacological properties and potential.
Protein analysis investigates marine worm community
Techniques used by researchers to analyze a simple marine worm and its resident bacteria could accelerate efforts to understand more complex microbial communities such as those found in humans.
Whale population size, dynamics determined based on ancient DNA
Researchers compare ancient, modern whale DNA to investigate discrepancies between genetic data and historical estimates.
One-quarter of grouper species being fished to extinction
Groupers, a family of fishes often found in coral reefs and prized for their quality of flesh, are facing critical threats to their survival. Scientists report that 20 species are at risk of extinction if current overfishing trends continue, and an additional 22 species are near "threatened" status.
Encyclopedia of Life reaches historic one million species pages milestone
The Encyclopedia of Life has surged past one million pages of content with the addition of hundreds of thousands of new images and specimen data. Launched in 2007 with the support of leading scientific organizations around the world, the Encyclopedia of Life provides global access to knowledge about life on Earth by building a web page for each of the 1.9 million recognized species.
Antarctic octopus study shows West Antarctic Ice Sheet may have collapsed 200,000 years ago
Scientists have found that genetic information on the Antarctic octopus supports studies indicating that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet could have collapsed during its history, possibly as recently as 200,000 years ago.
Plastic trash altering ocean habitats
A 100-fold upsurge in human-produced plastic garbage in the ocean is altering habitats in the marine environment, according to a new study.
Bats, whales, and bio-sonar: New findings about whales' foraging behavior reveal surprising evolutionary convergence
Though they evolved separately over millions of years in different worlds of darkness, bats and toothed whales use surprisingly similar acoustic behavior to locate, track, and capture prey using echolocation, the biological equivalent of sonar. Now researchers have shown that the acoustic behavior of these two types of animals while hunting is eerily similar.
Dolphin speaker to enhance study of dolphin vocalizations and acoustics
To gain new insights into how dolphins communicate, researchers in Japan created a prototype of an extremely broadband "dolphin speaker" capable of projecting dolphins' communication sounds, whistles, burst-pulse sounds, as well as detection sounds such as echolocation clicks.
Built-in ear plugs: Whales may turn down their hearing sensitivity when warned of an impending loud noise
Toothed whales navigate through sometimes dark and murky waters by emitting clicks and then interpreting the pattern of sound that bounces back. The animals' hearing can pick up faint echoes, but that sensitivity can be a liability around loud noises. Now researchers have discovered that whales may protect their ears by lowering their hearing sensitivity when warned of an imminent loud sound.
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