And yet, human exploration has revealed more detail about the surface of the moon and Mars that it has about the deep sea! Consider that hydrothermal vents and their unique organisms, which revolutionized our ideas about energy sources and the adaptability of life, were only discovered in 1977. Despite its depth and distance, it is still our backyard in comparison to outer space. But advances in deep sea submersibles and image capturing and sampling technologies are increasing the opportunities for marine biologists to observe and uncover the mysteries of the deep ocean realm.ĭeep sea research is vital because this area is such an enormous part of the biosphere. Until recently, the deep sea was largely unexplored. To get an idea of how vast the ocean’s depths are, consider that 79% of the entire volume of the earth’s biosphere consists of waters with depths greater than 1,000 m.

It is important to realize that photosynthesis occurs only down to about 100 – 200 m, and sunlight disappears altogether at 1,000 m or less, while the ocean descends to a maximum depth of about 11,000 m in the Mariana Trench! In fact, most of the ocean is cold, dark and deep. Though these zones contain an abundance of ocean life because sunlight is available for photosynthesis, they make up only a small fraction of the ocean biome. Most people familiar with the oceans know about life only in the intertidal zone, where the water meets land, and the epipelagic zone, the upper sunlit zone of the open ocean. and sunlight disappears altogether at 1,000 m or less, while the ocean descends to a maximum depth of about 11,000. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) INTERVIEWSĭavid Gallo takes us to some of Earth’s darkest, most violent, toxic and beautiful habitats, the valleys and volcanic ridges of the oceans’ depths, where life is bizarre, resilient and shockingly abundant.Marine Biology Degree Programs Worldwide.Marine Biology Degree Programs in the U.S.

Geological Makeup of Marine Environments.

Worldwide Aquariums and Marine Life Centers.

Ocean Mysteries: Did Life begin in the Ocean?.

Marine Biology Laboratories, Institutes & Graduate Programs.Marine Science/Ocean Life Related Journals.A History of the Study of Marine Biology.

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