marine biology

Marine biology

The scientific study of life in the ocean and other saltwater environments

Marine biologist

A scientist who studies organisms in the ocean and their interactions with the environment

Oceanographer

A scientist who studies the physical

Phoenicians

An ancient seafaring civilization known for early navigation and ocean exploration

Remote sensing

The collection of information about an area from a distance

Sonar

Technology that uses sound waves to detect and map objects under the sea

SCUBA

Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus; equipment that allows people to breathe underwater

ROVs

Remotely Operated Vehicles; robotic devices controlled from the surface to explore deep oceans

Research vessels

Ships designed and equipped to carry out scientific studies of the ocean

Hypothesis

A testable explanation for an observation

Scientific theory

A well-tested explanation for a wide range of observations and experimental results

Core

The innermost layer of Earth

Mantle

The thick layer of rock between Earth’s crust and core

Crust

The thin

Oceanic crust

Dense

Continental crust

Less dense

Lithogenous sediments

Marine sediments derived from the breakdown of rocks on land

Biogenous sediments

Marine sediments derived from the remains of living organisms

Passive margin

A continental margin not near a plate boundary; wide

Active margin

A continental margin at a plate boundary; narrow

Element

A pure substance made of only one type of atom

Atom

The basic unit of matter

Hydrogen bond

A weak bond between water molecules due to attraction between positive and negative charges

Humidity

The amount of water vapor in the air

Evaporation

The process where liquid water changes into vapor

Density

The mass of a substance per unit of volume

Heat capacity

The amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a substance

Latent heat of melting/evaporation

Heat absorbed or released during a phase change without temperature change

Solute

A substance that is dissolved in another

Solvent

A substance that dissolves other substances

Salinity

The total amount of dissolved salts in water

Coriolis effect

The apparent deflection of moving objects caused by Earth’s rotation

Trade winds

Steady winds blowing from east to west in the tropics

Westerlies

Winds blowing from west to east in mid-latitudes

Easterlies

Cold winds blowing from east to west near the poles

Upwelling

The upward movement of deep

Downwelling

The sinking of surface water

Crest

The highest point of a wave

Trough

The lowest point of a wave

Wavelength

The distance between two successive crests or troughs

Wave period

The time it takes for two wave crests to pass a point

Enzymes

Proteins that speed up chemical reactions

Nucleotides

Building blocks of DNA and RNA

Genes

Segments of DNA that code for traits or proteins

Photosynthesis

The process by which autotrophs use sunlight to produce food from carbon dioxide and water

Cellular respiration

The process of breaking down food to release energy (ATP)

Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own food

Heterotrophs

Organisms that obtain food by eating other organisms

Organic molecules

Molecules that contain carbon

Primary production

The production of organic matter by autotrophs

Diffusion

The movement of particles from high concentration to low concentration

Osmosis

The diffusion of water across a semipermeable membrane

Osmoconformer

An organism whose internal conditions match its environment

Osmoregulator

An organism that controls its internal salt and water balance

Ectotherm

An organism that relies on external sources of heat

Endotherm

An organism that generates its own heat internally

Poikilotherm

An organism with body temperature that varies with the environment

Broadcast spawning

Releasing eggs and sperm into the water for external fertilization

Hermaphrodites

Organisms with both male and female reproductive organs

Evolution

The process by which populations change over time

Natural selection

The process where organisms with favorable traits survive and reproduce more successfully

Taxonomy

The science of classifying organisms

Species

A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring

Phylogenetics

The study of evolutionary relationships among organisms