"Marine life, sea life, or ocean life is the plants, animals, and other organisms that live in the salt water of seas or oceans, or the brackish water of coastal estuaries."
Study of the diversity of marine species and their distribution, including how to classify, identify, and catalog them.
Oceanography: The study of physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the ocean.
Taxonomy: The study of classification of living organisms based on their characteristics.
Ecology: The study of the interactions between organisms and their environment.
Biogeography: The study of the distribution of organisms in different parts of the ocean.
Biodiversity hotspots: Areas with high levels of diversity of marine organisms.
Coral reefs: Complex ecosystems formed by coral polyps and algae.
Marine mammals: Mammals that live in the ocean, such as dolphins, whales, and seals.
Sharks: Fish with a cartilaginous skeleton and a unique body shape.
Seabirds: Birds that live in or around the ocean.
Marine invertebrates: Invertebrates that live in the ocean, such as corals, sponges, and molluscs.
Microorganisms: Small organisms that are found in marine environments, such as bacteria and viruses.
Seaweed: Macroalgae that can be found in shallow marine environments.
Phytoplankton: Photosynthetic organisms that form the base of the marine food chain.
Zooplankton: Small, animal-like organisms that are an important part of the marine food chain.
Fisheries: The study of the management and conservation of fish populations.
Marine biotechnology: The application of biology and technology to develop new products and processes from marine organisms.
Marine ecology: The study of the interactions between marine organisms and their environment.
Marine conservation: The management and protection of marine ecosystems and species.
Marine pollution: The introduction of harmful substances into the marine environment.
Climate change impacts on marine biodiversity: The effects of climate change on marine ecosystems and biodiversity.
Plankton: Plankton are small, microscopic organisms that float in the ocean. These organisms are the base of the marine food chain, and they are essential to the health and productivity of marine ecosystems.
Nekton: Nekton refers to larger, free-swimming organisms, such as fish, squid, and dolphins. These organisms are highly mobile and can move independently of ocean currents.
Benthos: Benthos organisms live on or near the seafloor, including crustaceans, mollusks, and worms.
Coral reefs: Coral reefs are diverse marine ecosystems formed by colonies of coral. They provide habitat for many marine organisms and protect coastlines from storms and erosion.
Intertidal zones: Intertidal zones are areas of the shoreline where the ocean meets the land. These zones are home to a wide range of species, including crabs, mollusks, and algae.
Seamounts and deep-water canyons: These underwater features provide habitat for a variety of marine species, including deep-water corals, fish, and invertebrates.
Estuaries: These complex coastal ecosystems are formed where freshwater from rivers and streams meets salty ocean water. Estuaries are important nurseries for many marine species, including fish and shellfish.
Mangrove forests: These coastal ecosystems consist of salt-tolerant trees and shrubs that grow in intertidal zones. They provide habitat for a range of marine organisms, including fish and birds.
Seagrass meadows: These underwater forests of grasses are important habitats for fish, sea turtles, and other marine organisms.
Hydrothermal vents: These deep-sea ecosystems are formed around underwater geothermal springs, where hot water and dissolved minerals are released into the ocean. Hydrothermal vents are home to a unique community of organisms, including tube worms, clams, and chemosynthetic bacteria.
"At a fundamental level, marine life affects the nature of the planet. Marine organisms, mostly microorganisms, produce oxygen and sequester carbon."
"By volume, oceans provide about 90% of the living space on the planet."
"Most life forms evolved initially in marine habitats."
"The earliest vertebrates appeared in the form of fish, which live exclusively in water."
"Some of these [fish] evolved into amphibians, which spend portions of their lives in water and portions on land."
"One group of amphibians evolved into reptiles and mammals and a few subsets of each returned to the ocean as sea snakes, sea turtles, seals, manatees, and whales."
"Plant forms such as kelp and other algae grow in the water and are the basis for some underwater ecosystems."
"Marine invertebrates exhibit a wide range of modifications to survive in poorly oxygenated waters, including breathing tubes as in mollusc siphons."
"Fish have gills instead of lungs, although some species of fish, such as the lungfish, have both."
"Marine mammals need to surface periodically to breathe air."
"As of 2023, more than 242,000 marine species have been documented."
"Perhaps two million marine species are yet to be documented."
"An average of 2,332 new species per year are being described."
"Marine species range in size from the microscopic like phytoplankton, which can be as small as 0.02 micrometres, to huge cetaceans like the blue whale – the largest known animal, reaching 33 m (108 ft) in length."
"Marine microorganisms, including protists and bacteria and their associated viruses, have been variously estimated as constituting about 70% or about 90% of the total marine biomass."
"Marine life is studied scientifically in both marine biology and in biological oceanography."
"The term marine comes from the Latin mare, meaning 'sea' or 'ocean'."