I. Syllabus and Course Policies
II. Why study marine ecology?
A. Planet Water
1. ~71% of the earth is
covered by salt water
2. Ocean depth averages
3.8 km
3. Oceans are the single
largest habitats on the planet
4. More people now live
within 100 km (62 miles) of the coast than lived on the whole planet in
1950
B. Human Uses of the Ocean
1. Food
2. Transportation
3. Recreation
4. Mineral Resources
5. Dump
C. Conservation Issues
III. Brief History of Oceanography and Marine Ecology
A. Ancient knowledge of the ocean and marine
organisms
B. Aristotle
C. James Cook – first to include a naturalist on
his crew (1768)
D. Darwin – voyage of the HMS Beagle (1831-1836)
1. atoll formation
2. plankton nets
3. barnacles
E. Edward Forbes – investigation of the sea floor
F. Challenger expedition, 1872
G. Marine Biological Stations
1. Stazione Zoologica
founded
Naples, Italy, 1872
2. Marine Biological Society
of the UK at Plymouth, England in 1879
3. Marine Biological
Laboratory
at Woods, Hole, Massachusetts, 1888
H. Modern Oceanography and Marine Biology
1. sonar – sound navigation
ranging; map seafloor, hear organisms, locate plankton
2. scuba – self-contained
underwater breathing apparatus; Emile Gagnan and Jacques Costeau
3. biological stations
4. oceanographic cruises
5. submarines and ROVs
(remotely
operated vehicles)
6. critter cams
7. satellites
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