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Ask a Marine Scientist: answers to General Biology questions! HISTORY
MARINE BIOLOGY IN ACTION MARINE ORGANISMS RESOURCES HISTORY
Q: When was marine biology first established? Why? Who started marine biology? Where? What type of training is needed to enter the field of marine biology? A. There is no real date or location that we can point to and say "marine biology started here." Like many other fields of study, it exists as a continuum, spanning thousands of years. The sea was an important resource for early coastal peoples, so they surely gathered large amounts of knowledge of local marine animals and plants, and passed it on verbally. The harpoon was developed over 10,000 years ago and by 5000 B.C., copper fish hooks were in use. Science, as a way of examining, thinking about, and describing the natural world, developed throughout the 1600 -1700's during the Scientific Revolution. It could be argued that marine biology, along with other scientific pursuits, started during this time, though generally, scientists did not specifially classify themselves as "physicists" or "biologists" or "chemists". Indeed, even today many scientists who study the biology of marine organisms do not pigeonhole themselves as "marine biologists". Early explorers often examined
marine life during their voyages. John Ross (1777-1856) took
bottom samples containing worms and other organisms during his
search for the Northwest Passage. Sir James Clark Ross (1800-1862)
took samples of the marine life Charles
Darwin, during his voyage of the "Beagle" from 1831-1836,
collected, described and classified many organisms from both
land and sea. About the
same time, Edward Forbes began a survey of marine life around
Britain and the Meditteranean. Johannes Muller Today, marine biology is a very wide field, and includes people with diverse backgrounds. One does not go to "marine biology school" in order to study marine plants and animals. Most people that you might call a marine biologist have general biology degrees, and have often specialized in a particular organism or system in graduate school. See our information on Marine Science Careers in the OceanLink pages for more information about what training is needed to enter the general field of marine science.
Q: I am interested in finding
out information on Jeanne A:
I'm not sure where you've already looked for information, but
there is a short biography
of Jeanne Villepreux-Power on the website entitled "4000
Years of Women in Science". The biography lists some references
that you might be interested in.
Q: We are doing a novel written by Eugenie Clark an Icthologist in the U.S.A. The class is looking for information about her Thanks? A: Eugenie Clark is an ichthyologist who began her studies on the behavior and reproductive isolating mechanisms of fresh-water aquarium fishes. She latercombined her love for diving with study of marine fishes: first hard-hat diving and snorkeling, now using scuba and submersibles, including ROVs.
Dr. Clark has been consultant and/or narrator, co-director, principal in 24 television specials about marine life in the U.S.A., Bermuda, England, Egypt, Israel, Japan, and Mexico. "The Sharks," a National Geographic special (1982) still holds the highest Nielson rating on PBS. "Reef Watch" is the first live underwater TV documentary and the just completed "Search for the Great Sharks" is an IMAX film. She has been the recipient of 3 fellowships, 5 scholarships, 6 medals, and 32 other awards and citations for work in marine biology, conservation, and writing.
Q: Please tell me about the pioneered names of researchers studying the killer whales. please email back as soon as possible, thank you for your kind consideration. A: Here are a couple of influencial
researchers of killer whales:
MARINE BIOLOGY IN ACTION
Q: Please explain experimental and control groups. A: When you want to answer
a question scientifically, (for example, how do snails react
when they are in the presence of a crab-predator?), you can observe
snails that you find close to and far away from predators, but
you won't know that a difference in behaviour among the snails
is only due to the presence or absence of a predator - there
may be many other factors like food availability, snail size,
crab size, water flow, etc. that could explain why the snails
behaved differently. In an experiment, you can
control for all of these factors, so you can tell that the only
reason that the snails act differently is because of something
you changed. What you do is set up a whole bunch of tanks, exactly
the same in all respects. In half of these tanks, you add a snail
and a predator and observe snail behaviour. These are the experimental
groups. In the other half of the tanks, you add snails but no
predators and observe how snails react in the same conditions
without a predator - these are the control groups. The only difference
between the control groups and the experimental groups is the
presence of a predator. If there is a major difference in behaviour
among snails in experimental or control tanks, then it is likely
to be because of the one varying factor (called a variable):
presence of a predator.
You can find out more about experimental design in a biology text book.
Q: I am doing a project at school and we have to have a spacifice scientist to report on,I am very interested in marine biology and hope to work in ne of the fields, but i dont know of eny names.Could you list some for me(Preferably scientists that are still living please)Thanke you for reading my question. A: There are numerous marine biologists who would be great to write your report on. We have some interviews and links to different marine biologists. Check out the Career Section on the OceanLink website and you will find interviews with living marine biologists that might inspire you. Another place to look on the OceanLink website is information on Eugenie Clark a shark biologist. Another suggestion I have is to check out the Project Seahorse website. This project was started and coordinated by marine biologist Dr. Amanda Vincent from McGill Univeristy in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
A. You're correct in the fact
that you should not fly in an airplane if your have been SCUBA
diving within a 24 hour period. It is not guaranteed to be fatal,
however! To understand why this is so, you have to know that
when a SCUBA diver is underwater, she is So what about flying? When you fly high up in the sky, the air pressure drops. Airplanes pressurize the cabins, but they are not kept at as high a pressure as sea level. If you have any potential for bubbles to form in your blood (perhaps if you stayed down on your last dive a bit too long), then going up in an airplane would make things worse. You would get exactly the same result if you were to suddenly drive from sea level up into the mountains after diving.
A. We would suggest getting
your hands on a good field guide to the Caribbean. A guide will
tell you not only about the types of crustaceans (the lobster,
crab and shrimp that you mention), but also about all of the
other animals that you are likely to encounter, such as snails,
corals, fish, and hundreds more. Kaplan, E.H. 1988. A field guide to Southeastern and Caribbean shores. Peterson Field Guide Series # 36 Kaplan, E.H. 1982. A field guide to coral reefs. Peterson Field Guide Series # 27
Q: Have you ever studied if it would be possible for humans to live under the sea? If so, what kind of technology would need to be used? Have you already discovered some ways to deal with this? Do you think that in the future, if the population on earth gets to an overwhelming amount, we could start an ecosystem undersea? A: Humans have been developing and building underwater habitats since the late 1960's. An example of one of the more recent attempts is the Aquarius habitat, located on Conch Reef off Key Largo, Florida. This underwater research laboratory was developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Undersea Research Center. The Aquarius habitat consists of an 80 ton pressurized cylindrical chamber located in approximately 60 ft (18m) of water. This chamber measures 43 ft (13 m) long by 9 ft (3 m) in diameter, and contains six bunks, a galley, scientific work space, shower, toilet, microwave, fridge, air conditioning and computers. Marine scientists live and work in this environment for up to 10 days at a time, and must undergo 17 hours of decompression before resurfacing. The Aquarius habitat is not self-sustaining, and requires significantsupport from the surface. Meals are sent down daily in pressure-resistant containers, air is pumped down from the surface, and the safety of the aquanauts (the people who live and work underwater) is monitored continuously by the surface-support crew. The Aquarius habitat costs $1.2 million (American) per year to operate. The question of whether the
human population could develop a sustainable underwater ecosystem
is an interesting one. As you would imagine, a lot of expensive
technology is required to operate an underwater habitat. And
much of the technology required for complete sustainability without
surface support is yet to be developed. Another point to consider
is the impacts that an undersea human population would have on
the oceanic environment. What
Q: I am thinking of having a career in the area of Marine Biology, but I would like to know how much chemistry is involved and whether it is vital to have a qualification in it? A: Chemistry is essential
in all biology, marine biology included, and you should definitely
take it in high school. Math and physics are also very important
to have an understanding in as a scientist. Also, many University
programs for biology require you to take courses in chemistry,
so it would be good to get the background while you can in high
school. If you're interested in Marine Biology though, don't
let this scare you off! It's a very rewarding career.
Q: I am doing a report on what I want to be when I grow up for my math class. I am wondering how math is used in marine biology? A:
Math is used in all sciences and so is therefore used everyday
by marine biologists. The most
important kind of math used by biologists is called "Statistics".
Statistics is used to organize and analyse data to prove or disprove
a statement. If a researcher's data can is deemed "statistically
significant" than their results are good. They have a definite
answer to their question. If you are interested in becoming a
biologists (marine or otherwise) than be sure to take statistics
in college. Look for courses that are aimed at biology like "statistics
for life sciences" or "biometrics".
Q: I need an ocean food chain with 8 animals. A: The feeding interactions
between animals and plants in the ocean are so complex that representing
them as a chain is too simplistic. Unlike in terrestrial food
chains, each level of a food web shows more and more arrows that
go in all directions to show how connected everything is. take
a look at the food web page at Oceanlink: http://oceanlink.island.net/oinfo/foodweb/foodweb.html
Q: What are the safety issues you would have to deal with in the feild of marine biology? A: This is an interesting question. There are many aspects of marine biology, where safety is an issue. Biologists do alot of field work. Working out in the field can always be hazardous and calls for preparedness, common sense and safety awareness. We are often in boats, which means that we all must be trained in safe boat driving and dealing with emergencies (protocol for calling the coast guard etc.). Boating accidents most often involved motor problems or stormy weather. Therefore, we must be good at small engine repair, navigation and wilderness survival. When out in the field, biologists must be constantly prepared for encounters with wild animals. Running into bears, cougars, sharks etc. can be dangerous if you do not know how to react. Biologists also analyze materials in the lab and face all the same hazards that chemists would face. We often deal with noxious chemicals and must observe lab safety guidelines. Eye protection, lab coats, and even breathing masks are often used. With commom sense both in the field and in the lab, accidents are rare for biologists.
Q: What are some of the tools Marine biologist use? Can you give me a little experiment to try out? A: There are so many things
you can do, but it's important to remember that whatever you
decide to do, you don't want to damage any of the organisms or
habitats that you are looking at. This is just as important as
obtaining the results of an experiment.
MARINE ORGANISMS
A. Here are a few suggestions for you: Nautilus (see our recent answer on this animal in the Invertebrates answers section) Narwhal (an arctic whale with a single "horn" which is actually a tooth) Nemertean (a type of marine worm) Nudibranch (beautiful shell-less molluscs)
A. Hmmmmm. You've given us the difficult letters! Here are some suggestions for you - some are not very well known, but hey, these were tough letters!: Q: Q.E.
II - a very popular ocean liner U: Uca -
a fiddler crab, found all over the world. In the male, one claw
is much larger than the other, and they move this claw up and
down to attract mates X: Xanthidae -
a family of crabs, that includes the Black-clawed crab which
is common intertidally in B.C. Y: Yoldia -
a clam that lives in relatively deep water Z: Zooplankton (animals
that float in the ocean at the mercy of thecurrents. The krill
that some whales eat is an example of zooplankton)
A. "Phosphorescence" is more correctly known as bioluminescence. This means living (bio) light (luminescence). This is light that is biologically produced and is caused when a light-emitting molecule, called luciferin, is mixed with an enzyme, luciferase, in the presence of oxygen. (The light produced in bioluminescence looks very similar to the light produced when phosphorous is exposed to oxygen. Thus the common, but incorrect, term phosphorescence). Bioluminescence is actually quite common and almost all taxonomic groups of animals, and many plants, have some members that luminesce. Planktonic dinoflagellates and bacteria are some of the most abundant creators of this biological light and are what is usually responsible for the green glow in a boat's wake or when waves break on a beach. Other animals, including fish and squid, create light by keeping small cultures of luminescent bacteria in specialized organs distributed over their body. Since the bacteria luminesce continuously, their hosts have developed mechanical means, such as flaps of skin that resemble window shades, to control luminescence. So why do these individuals create light? Reasons for bioluminescence vary depending on the organism, but they generally fall into one of four categories: escaping predators, obtaining prey, attraction, and advertising. Some organisms use the "quick flash" technique to temporarily blind a predator"a familiar sensation as when faced with an inexperienced photographer let loose with a flash. Many bacteria actually luminesce because they want to be eaten. They advertise to potential prey hoping to find a comfy home inside a fish's gut. Answered by Adrienne Mason
Q: How does the bioluminesence in dinoflagellates work A.
Excellent question! Bioluminescence is the heatless light which
is produced by many different living
organisms, including dinoflagellates in the phytoplankton. This
heatless light is created by an enzyme-controlled chemical reaction.
Luciferin is the name given to the material which is oxidized
to produce light; the exact chemical composition of luciferens
varies between organisms. (Lucifer in latin means "bearer
of light"). Luciferase is the enzyme which catalyzes the
reaction. The reaction may occur within the body of the organism,
as is the case with dinoflagellates, or it may be secreted into
the water. Though some bacteria and fungi produce light continuously
if oxygen is available, most organisms produce flashes of light
only when their luminescent organs are stimulated. Dinoflagellates
may emit a steady, low level of light as well as light flashes
when disturbed - a magical sight when boating, swimming or walking
along the water's edge on a beach at night!
Q: starting from algae,
can you give me a complete food web of A: You know not what you ask! A food web is an incredibly complex thing diagram showing the feeding relationships between all organisms in a system. Luckily, we have a food web page in the Ocean Info section of the site. It will show you a simplified food web for the Pacific Northwest, and give you an idea of just what is involved in designing such a thing.
Q: Please tell me the reasons why marine species such as sharks, sea turtles, and horseshoe crabs had survived for so many millions of years? Is there something about their body structures that help them to survive through many different evolution periods? Thank you! A. Obviously, the fact that many species in these groups are still extant suggests that these animals were endowed with evolutionary adaptations that allowed them to persist through time. For sharks, the evolution from a suspension feeding lifestyle to a predacious lifestyle was a very important event. The evolution of jaws, teeth, good vision and electrorecpetion were all important adaptations that allowed this group to radiate and invade new niches. The horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) is one of only four species in the Subclass Xiphosura, Class Merostomata. This animal lives in shallow water on soft bottoms, plowing through the upper surface of the sand. The carapace is smoooth, horseshoe-shaped and convex, a shape that facilitates pushing through sand and mud and provides a protective covering for the ventral appendages. These animals are omnivores that feed on a variety of molluscs, worms, and other benthic organisms, including algae. There are several possible explanations for the peristence of this species through evolutionary time. The animal is obviously well designed for its particular habits, with the carapace providing good protection from any potential predators. The fact that this animal is an omnivore, and not a specialist on any one particular prey item, is also a good evolutionary feature. Generalist predators are less likely to go extinct because their varied prey base provides more of a buffer during periods of climatic, geological or biogeographical change. For example, if one prey item goes extinct, the crab has other food items to rely on, and therefore, is less affected by changes in abundance of any one particular prey species. Perhaps this is why this species persisted while many other members of the Merostomata have gone extinct. I'll leave the question of the sea turtles up to you. You should check the AquaFacts page on the OceanLink website as well as the answer file for answers to past questions about sea turtles.
A.Thanks for your question. Check out our site on Fastest, Biggest and Smallest for more marine animal records The fastest animal in the ocean is the Sailfish, Istiophorus platypterus, which has been clocked at speeds of 114 kilometers/hour (68 miles per hour if you are metrically challenged!) The fastest marine mammal
is probably the Sei Whale, Balaenoptera borealis, which
can attain speeds of 60 kilometers/hour (35 miles/hour) over
short distances, although Killer Whales (Orcinus orca)
may reach speeds of 70 kilomters/hour (42 miles per hour)
A. These microscopic organisms are flagellates, and are generally classified in the Kingdom Protista, Phylum Mastigophora, Order Coccolithophorida (also called Haptophyta, by people who consider them algae).They are marine organisms, and are covered by calcareous platelets called coccoliths. They have two flagella that are used for locomotion, and yellow-brown chromoplasts. They are photosynthetic. Two examples of these organisms are: genus Coccolithus and genus Rhabdosphaera. When the organisms die, the
calcareous plates drift to the bottom of the ocean. If enough
of them build up over hundreds of thousands of years, a chalk
bed is formed. If the ocean floor is uplifted, this chalk bed
is exposed.
Q: What animal in the ocean kingdom can fly? A: What a great question! As you know there are numerous seabirds that of course fly as well as feed and swim in the ocean. As for any marine organisms that live their entire lives underwater and depend on water to breathe, it is rare that they will fly in air. There are some fish species that "fly" in air. One type of fish called a Flyingfish that will jump with into the air and actualy glide in the air. Flyingfish have elongated pectoral fins that act like wings out of the water. A flyingfish does not truly fly, but glides through the air by catching air currents with their fins. They typically take off into the wind and travel for 30 seconds and as far as 400m in a series of up to 12 flights. Flyingfish can reach speeds as fast as 72km/hr when they are airborne and use air gliding as a way to escape predators. I am not familiar with any invertebrates that are able to "fly" in the air, but if you have heard of any I would love to hear from you!
Q: What are the different defensive strategies used by planktonic and nektonic organisms? A: That's a great question. Planktonic (or drifting) organisms have defense strategies that make them hard to see. Many are transparent or cryptically coloured making it hard for predators to see them. Many have spines or armour that make them less fragile like diatoms with a silicon skeleton and dinoflagellates with calcium carbonate armoured plates. Dinoflagellates also can produce toxins that make them noxious to predators. Another idea is that bioluminesence is a defense strategy. The bright flash of light can surprise and confuse predators. Nektonic (or swimming) organisms usually put all their energy into be able to move fast and avoid danger. Fish for example have developed a fusiform body shape, finlets that reduce turbulence, eyes flush to the body and grooves in their skin to promote fast swimming. Flying fish have even evolved large fins that allow them to jump out of the water to avoid predation. Another major defense strategy is camouflage. Most nekton are counter-shaded. That means they are dark on top and light on the bottom making them hard to see from above and below! Many species are cryptically coloured and mix in with their habitat too. More info about plankton and nekton can be found in any marine biology textbook.
Q: Why can sea creatures live just as easily in fresh water as they can in salt water? A; This is an interesting
question, but the truth is, sea creatures can't live as easily
in fresh water as they can in salt water. There are a lot of
problems associated with living in fresh water, and many sea
creatures do not have the right adaptations to live there. Fresh
water generally does not provide a constant environment to live
in, because water levels change seasonally, as do salt and temperature
levels. Far fewer organisms live in fresh water than in the sea,
which means that there is less food available in fresh water.
Q: Most everyone knows that the cheetah is the fastest land animal. My question is "what is the fastest water-dwelling (fresh or saltwater) animal in the world?" A: The world's fastest fish
is the sailfish clocked at 68.18mph. Here are some of the other
fastest sea animals, so you can compare:
Q: What are the five fastest land animals A: Here are the some of the
fastest land animals:
Q: How many unknown marine species are there? A: There are very likely many unknown species that have yet to be discovered by science. When scientists first discovered marine deep sea hot vents they discovered many new species that were unknown to them before! It is likely that new species will continue to be discovered in the near future.
Q: What causes electric blue waves? I saw some really beautiful blue lights from these waves as they crashed into the California coast. A: These electric blue waves are actually caused by bioluminesence. The species that are responsible for this are Lucifera and luciferase. Many types of plankton cause the light you saw as well as a dinoflaggellete named Noctiluca. When these species are around it can cause a great deal of light when they are disturbed. It sure would have been exciting to see waves that crashed with an electric blue light!
RESOURCES
A. Although the internet contains a great deal of wonderful information, there are not very many on-line textbooks around. Publishers of textbooks are in the business for the money. There is not a lot of money to be made by putting your entire product on-line for free. The most you'll ever see on the internet from publishers of textbooks is advertisements for their products.We can't put pictures from textbooks on the web, or copy information directly from them; this would violate the copyright, and they could justifiably sue us. As you've probably seen web sites can be very variable - some may contain very good, accurate information, while others can be full of incomplete or wrong answers. At OceanLink, we're trying to fill the gap by providing accurate answers and information about marine science topics. Obviously we don't have an on-line textbook (yet!) but we're working on it!
Q: First of all, I'd like to thank you for this site. I am doing a research project about marine biologists, and your page has been extremely helpful. I have a few questions that I would appreciate if you could help me with: 1) What is the difference between a oceanographer and a marine biologist? I have to also include 3 closely related careers in my assignment. Is a biochemist similar to this? 2)
In your question and answer page about marine biologists, who
answered
those questions? Some said who the scientist was that answered
than, and some did not. Was it someone on the "our contributors" list?
I need to know for my bibliography and for 3)Are most marine biologists who conduct research doing so with the help of government grants? Or are there research companies that they are working for? Do most marine biologists end up teaching? 4) What is aquaculture? Is it another name for marine biology? A. 1) Oceanographers
and marine biologists are similar but different. An oceanographer
studies the chemical and physical aspects of the ocean, and can
include how those factors effect marine life. They look at currents,
salinities, global oceanic trends, etc. Marine 2) All the questions on our site are answered by our OceanLink Interns, unless otherwise stated. You can credit the OceanLink team, and specifically list the web address. 3) Marine biologists can be funded by the government, private companies, non-profit organizations, public interest groups, concerned citizens, or whoever wants a study done. Most marine focus on research, although many do teach at some point in their lives. 4) Aquaculture
is the farming of any aquatic resource. Mariculture is when that
farming is specific to the ocean. Things that are farmed in the
sea include salmon, shellfish, and algae. Although most people
who are aquaculturists have some marine biology knowledge, it's
not
Q. Do you know any rules and regulations regarding tidepool exploration or can refer me to a web page that may have information regarding this? A.
There are no official "rules" of
tidepool exploration to our knowledge. (bear in mind though,
that we are located in British Columbia, Canada, and may not
have detailed knowledge of local laws or ordinances in your particular
area!!) There are, however, some good "common sense" rules
that you should enforce upon yourself, such as:
A. It's interesting to see that two people on different ends of the continent are thinking about the same topic within a couple of days of each other! One tip that we have is to
look for general books on the ocean, seashores, or general marine
biology. Often, general books will have a chapter or two on tidepools
that is relatively easy to read. Field guides to marine life
in a local area will also often have sections on Here are a few ideas to start with: Snively, Gloria 1978. Exploring
the Seashore. Gordon Soules Ltd. West Vancouver. ISBN 0-919574-25-4.
An excellent book for the British Columbia coast for the general
public. Has good information about different beach zones, as
well as information about specific Mason, Adrienne 1995. Oceans: looking at beaches and coral reefs, tides and currents, sea mammals and fish, seaweeds and other ocean wonders. Kids Can Press Ltd. Toronto. ISBN 1-55074-147-0 Written for ages 8-12, this book has a good section on tidepools. Hall, Howard. Tidepools. Blake Publishing, 2222 Beebee street, San Luis Obispo, California 93401 ph. 1-800-727-8558. A paperback with many very colourful pictures, all about tidepools. Suitable for a wide variety of ages. There are lots of other books out there, but few of them will have "tidepool" in the title. Hope this helps!
Q: I am studying on the micro-structure and physiology of Prawn (Penaeus), especially of its larva. So I want to get some thesis (from 1990 to now) on this subject. Would you please give me some advice or tell me how I can get these information (abstracts or the full-text of thesis) on the internet? A: Generally you can only get copies of abstracts and not the full text of articles on the internet. You can try the following sites: 1) Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts - There are fees associated with using this site, although you can try the demonstration module to decide if it will be useful to you before subscribing. 2) Carl UnCover - This site provides citations only (no abstracts), and will fax or e-mail you full copies of articles for a fee. 3) Iowa State University Library - Try this site, it seems to have links to some free search resources with abstracts.
Q: How can I find more reference materials about the biodiversity of shrimp and prawn. A: I'm not sure where you have looked so far for your information, but I'll give the following suggestions: 1) Public or college/university library - Search both the general holdings (books) and journal databases for information on your topic. In terms of journal articles, you will likely be more successful if you use the scientific name or category for the organisms you're interested in. 2) Special databases - A college/university library would likely have access to databases such as Biological Abstracts or Aquatic Fisheries and Science Abstracts, which contain abstracts from papers in the aquatic sciences. Ask at the Reference Desk for assistance in using these databases. 3) Internet
resources - A good listing of journal articles can be found on
Carl UnCover. For a fee they will send you the actual article,
but its free to search for a citation and then head to a college/university
library and find the journal. You can also try a standard internet
A. Thank you for asking! We
have been putting your question to our colleagues as to what
they think are the most important aspects of the ocean in terms
of marine biology, and have had many interesting, and diverse
replies. Also, Kelly Nordin asked the students in her Approximately three-quarters of the surface area of the earth is composed of the world's ocean with an average depth of approximately 4000 meters, thus the ocean is physically a large component of the earth. Just as the terrestrial part of the earth has many diverse habitats and ecosystems, so does the ocean. For example, there are coastal and intertidal areas, open water areas with different levels of light and temperature, and polar to tropical areas. Consequently, the oceans are
home to a great diversity of organisms (species biodiversity)
which are all interconnected in food webs. Colder parts of the
worlds oceans which are closer to the north or south pole have
larger numbers of organisms, or in other words, are The oceans of the world play
a very important role in global weather patterns, and also have
local impact. Linked to weather is the concept of the water cycle.
Water molecules are constantly being cycled from the ocean to
clouds to rain to lakes and streams, back to the
Q: I am in search of people
that will donate items to my classroom that they have found
on the bottom of the ocean. Could you please connect me with
a name or an organization. Fans, corals, shells, urchines,
any thing found not taken alive. Thanks
A. We have not been able to
find an CD ROM encyclopedia that covers all marine life. There
are some very good CD's out there, but they are often tailored
to a specific audience, (eg. young children), or ecological area
(eg. coral reef biology), or group of species (eg. To do ongoing research of
the type that you describe requires a wide variety of resources
- I don't think that one (or even a few) CD ROM's will be enough.
For example, to answer the questions on these pages, we routinely
use 50 specific, comprehensive textbooks,
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