What Is Marine Science - Essay Example

Marine Science I. Introduction II. What is marine science? a. Brief history b. Careers i. Oceanographers & Marin Biologists ii. Marine archaeologists & policy experts III. Challenges a. Dynamite fishing b. Global warming c. Water pollution IV. Developments V. Conclusion Introduction What is marine science and why is it important to society? A look at prehistoric life on earth will reveal references to fish and other marine inhabitants. Artifacts and cave paintings depict a life that was influenced by water and fish. These examples serve to strengthen the idea that before man, there was already marine life. A look at history will show that this prehistoric marine life was abundant as it was able to supply generations upon generations of man with food and beauty for many years. Marine science helps in ensuring that this aspect of nature and all it encompasses is taken care of for the next generations to appreciate. This paper will attempt to describe marine science and the recent challenge or challenges the field of study is facing. What is marine science? Marine science is also known as oceanography or oceanology. As the term connotes, it deals with the study of the ocean and involves a variety of topics across several disciplines that can influence processes in the ocean world. There are four branches of the disciplines; namely, biological, chemical, geological, and physical. The first has to do with the interaction of marine organisms with their environment under the seas. Chemical oceanography is the study of the chemical properties of the sea. Knowing this is important because the seas and things in it help in sustaining life on earth. The chemical make-up of anything from the ocean that man comes into contact with will help society understand, for example, its effect on man. Geological oceanography, meanwhile, is that branch which concerns itself with the ocean floor as well as the tectonic plates of the earth. Lastly, physical oceanography studies the physical characteristics of the seas like waves, temperature, currents, tides, etc. Studying the ocean and all that is in it is not a new discipline. As mentioned in the introduction, humans were already exposed to the seas and oceans in prehistoric times although the observations were mostly for purposes of map making and fishing. Proponents include Juan Ponce de Leon and Benjamin Franklin who were responsible for identifying and naming, respectively, the Gulf Stream. Written accounts of their sea travels serve as information from explorers like James Cook, Louis Antoine de Bougainville, James Rennell, Sir James Clark Ross, Charles Darwin, Robert FitzRoy and Matthew Fontaine Maury and have helped in enriching the knowledge base about the ocean and marine life. The contributions of these explorers have enabled oceanographers after them to prepare properly for explorations. Also, their records, journal entries, and pictures have brought this information available to those who could not spend that much time in the water. With the advent of advanced technology, modern explorers were eventually able to investigate more of the ocean thanks to computers and more high-tech underwater research equipment. What do people who study the ocean do exactly? There are several jobs that might interest someone who wants to build a career in marine science. Those people who study the ocean are called oceanographers in general. These can be engineers, technicians, zoologists, and marine biologists. This is also another reason for saying the science is interdisciplinary. Oceanographers can be found working inside or outside a laboratory. (Oceanographer) While oceanographers study the biggest body of water, marine biologists study life in the small ones. They can be employed by the government or private organizations. Marine biologists also go out into the ocean to know more about marine species. The kind of species they study may be varied as this is dependent on the purpose of their observation. For example, some marine biologists study the behavior of sharks and dolphins in the ocean. They may spend days and months in the sea getting up close and personal with these and other marine life. They may also study the plants that live in the water, not only the animals. These scientists try to understand how these marine organisms interact with one another and with their environment. They may study the effect of pollution on these species. Others may observe shrimp or commercial fish which bring in more monetary value for people than other species and are thus might be in more danger. Either way, these scientists in marine biology study as much as they can about these significant animals and plants, spending days in the ocean, in the laboratory or in marsh mud, if needed. Two interesting jobs in marine science are that of a marine archaeologist and a marine policy expert. If there are people who study artifacts on land, there are also those who study material evidence that are underwater. (Trujillo) Sunken ships, tools, structures and the like from the past or present are the focus of a marine archaeologist. As with their counterparts on land, they use special equipment to dig up and study these things in order to learn more about the people, period or event associated with them. Examples of these scientists are those who are continuing investigations on the Titanic. Meanwhile, marine policy experts are those who know extensively about oceanography per se, social sciences, the law or business so as to create standards to be followed when working in the ocean and with coastal resources. These policies help in maintaining order while studying the oceans. It also safeguards marine life against those scientists who may exploit their findings. Because the processes involved in marine science interrelate with other disciplines, those who want to understand what all happens in the ocean and what is inside the ocean can be, as mentioned previously, an oceanographer, ecologist, aquatic chemist, marine educator, ocean engineer, resource manager, or aquaculture veterinarian. One cannot start any of these careers, however, without getting a degree in the specific discipline. For example, someone who wants to be a marine engineer needs to be a full-pledged engineer first, before specializing in marine science. A bachelor’s degree in a related discipline is necessary for any career in marine science. A job in marine science is indeed rewarding, especially for those with a deep interest in life in the sea. Many of those who decide to be oceanographers do so because of the amazing experience of being so close to the animals. Whether one wants to save the earth’s waters or just know more about it, a job in marine science is truly a remarkable adventure. The marine scientist does not only help ocean life, but as a consequence helps the environment and mankind in as well. Moreover, he is doing all this while having fun. Development From newly-discovered marine species to innovative marine exploration equipment, the field has truly come a long way. There has been a lot of progress in the field of marine science since the first global marine expedition in 1872. For instance, the Challenger expedition in 1872 yielded about 4,700 new species of marine life. (Weyl) A current research has changed that number to between 700,000 and one million species, with one-third and two-thirds of those still to be named. (Two-Thirds) That number may even change since there are still some unexplored parts of the seas. Progress can also be observed in the equipment used. Unlike early expeditions and attempts to study the ocean, oceanographers from the 1970s have been aided by computerized equipment which has made experiments and observations a lot faster and convenient. Also, video recorders and cameras that are water-proof have allowed the rest of the world to see exactly what oceanographers underwater are seeing. The most recent of these developments is the discovery of a microscopic organism that is said to play a significant part in the carbon consumption of the ocean. (University of California) A more extensive form of research is intended for this newly-discovered organism as such could help in society’s efforts to stabilize global warming. Challenges It is a sad fact to note that as society progressed, the condition of the world’s seas and its inhabitants regressed. This seems to strengthen the claim of environmentalists and observers that the majority of man has displayed callous behavior towards one of its main sources of nourishment. It is feared by experts in marine science that if this negative attitude does not change, marine life as man knows it will cease to exist, a change that is life-threatening to man. There are some imminent threats to the ocean and the life it fosters. One of these dangers is dynamite fishing or blast fishing. In his quest to provide food for his family and earn a living, man has succumbed to this dangerous way of catching as much fish as possible. He probably thinks even though he gets a lot of fish, there will always be fish available for the next fishing trip. Little do these fishermen know that these destructive fishing methods can destroy ecosystems that promote the production of fish. Blast fishing destroys coral reefs which is a significant part of a fish’s habitat. Healthy coral reefs can result to 35 tons of fish per square kilometer yearly, but damaged reefs result in much less. (McClellan) Moreover, using dynamite on fish kills all the fish, even those who are not yet old enough to harvest. As a consequence, man also loses fish he could get in the future because of his eagerness to get everything today. Environmentalists and marine biologists warn man that if this practice continues, there would eventually be no more fish for man to take. Global warming is another challenge oceanography experts in the discipline are facing head on. A layer of the earth’s atmosphere is filled with greenhouse gases which include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases, and ozone. As the rays of the sun enter the earth’s atmosphere, the greenhouse gases in the stratosphere let this short-term radiation in so it could be absorbed and converted into energy. Some of it, however, is reflected back into space. This exchange allows for all of the living things in the planet to experience warmth and to have the energy needed to sustain all of the different processes in the ecosystem. Unfortunately, since the Industrial Revolution, society has shown a disregard for nature, conducting activities that contribute to the increase of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2), in the atmosphere. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere increases thanks to the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, as trees have large amounts of carbon. (Greenhouse effect) The increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has formed a thicker barrier that restricts the amount of long-term radiation to exit back into space. This barrier also increases the amount of short-term radiation reflected back to earth. The phenomenon is a huge environmental problem that is affecting marine life in a very negative way. Climate change which goes hand-in-hand with global warming has caused, among others, sea levels to rise due to the melting of arctic glaciers, marine animals to migrate and adjust their lifestyles, and stormy weather to occur more frequently. For instance, climate change has resulted to warmer waters in Antarctica, so marine scientists fear that predatory crabs will head towards the region and negatively disrupt the ecosystem. (Florida) Polar bears, for example, that are used to living in the very cold Arctic region and other Arctic species are feared to become extinct if global warming continues. (Center) It has been reported that the global sea level increased from 1.8 millimeters yearly in the year 1961 until 1993 to 3.1 millimeters yearly since 1993. (Greenhouse effect) This is alarming because should climate change continue and melt a significant amount of glaciers, low-lying areas would be wiped out. A new study, using advanced climate models, regarding the effect of climate change on marine life has projected that marine life in deep-sea ecosystems will decline up to 38 percent because they will not have food to eat. (National) These species on the seafloor depend on “remains of surface ocean marine life that sink to the floor” (National). Because of climate change as well, the source of nutrients for the surface ocean marine life has also experienced disruptions. Water pollution is also an issue that marine scientists need to resolve. Although it is a known fact that polluted water inland eventually finds its way to the oceans, man still continues to dump waste in the water. The beaches are not spared. Several observations by individuals and environmental organizations have shown that marine pollution does not only affect life in the water, but also life that comes in contact with the pollutants in the oceans. Worse pollutants in the air and land make their way to the oceans as well. (National) Garbage has found its way to the waters and could lead to the death of fish, birds and other creatures. Research conducted on the Great Lakes Garbage Patch has revealed that a great amount of particles in the garbage were two-tenths of an inch and most of it was microscopic, meaning it can be easily digested by marine life. (Finocchiaro) This is alarming because this degree of danger to marine life is only from one country. If it is assumed that other countries have a garbage patch and all these find their way to the open seas, then a lot of marine life would be harmed. Oil spills, for instance, is another example of water pollution. Several cases of oil spills have been noted in man’s history and with this are the marine animals that have been found dead and covered with oil. There are several things that may happen to marine animals caught in an oil spill. Hypothermia, poisoning and internal damage, decreased reproduction, increased predation, and fouling of habitat are all dangers associated with an oil spill. (Kennedy) Conclusion Marine science is a continually developing field. As with other branches of science, there is a vast area still waiting to be explored and studied. In this case, it is still those areas in the ocean that have never been visited by any man. Also, since other natural phenomena have an impact on the ocean and marine life, oceanographers are always conducting studies to have up-to-date or sometimes projected analysis. In addition, experts in the field need to find more effective ways to safeguard the seas and cultivate marine life as existing methods seem ineffective. Despite the variety of careers one can pursue under this field of study, these jobs all concern themselves with creating a better marine environment for the species that live in it and for the people who live off from it. With the current environmental issues, protection of the seas can be a daunting task for individuals in marine science. Marine science is an important aspect of earth science because it is a part of a bigger process that takes care of the planet that is home to a multitude of diverse specifies. References: Center for Biological Diversity. “Global Warming and Life on Earth.” Biologicaldiversity.org. Center for Biological Diversity, n.d. Web. 21 April 2014. Finocchiaro, Peter. “Great Lakes Garbage Patch Presents Major Threat To Region’s Marine Life, Scientists Say.” Huffington Post GREEN. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc., 11 April 2013. Web. 21 April 2014. Florida Institute of Technology. “Global Warming Threatens Antarctic Sea Life.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 9 February 2009. Web 21 April 2014. “Greenhouse Effect.” National Geographic Education. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web 22 April 2014. Kennedy, Jennifer. “Effects of Oil Spills on Marine Life.” MarineLife. About.com, n.d. Web. 21 April 2014. McClellan, Kate. “Coral degradation through destructive fishing practices.” The Encyclopedia of Earth. National Council for Science and the Environment, 20 September 2010. Web. 21 April 2014. National Oceanography Centre. “Major reductions in seafloor marine life from climate change by 2100.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 31 December 2013. Web. 22 April 2014. “Oceanographer/Marine Biologist.” NASA. NASA, 22 January 2003. Web. 24 April 2014. Trujillo, Al. “Careers in Oceanography.” Palomar college. Palomar Oceanography, 16 August 2011. Web. 24 April 2014. “Two-Thirds Marine Species Remain Unknown.” News.discovery. Discovery Communications, LLC, 13 December 2012. Web 22 April 2014. University of California-San Diego. “Microscopic organism plays a big role in ocean carbon cycling.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 April 2014. Web. 23 April 2014. Weyl, Peter K. Oceanography: an introduction to the marine environment. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1970. Print. “What is the biggest source of pollution in the ocean?” NOAA. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 19 February 2014. Web. 20 April 2014. Read More