First Steps: The History of Marine Exploration: Matthew Fontaine Maury
Perhaps the first person for whom oceanography was a full-time occupation, Matthew Fontaine Maury began charting winds and ocean currents for the United States Navy in the mid-19th century. He is considered by many to be the father of physical ocean...
Dirty Water: Toxic Metallic Compounds
Along with oil and excess nutrients, toxic metallic compounds can also make their way to the marine environment and cause damage that may be passed along through the food web.
Its in the Water: Ocean and Carbon Dioxide, The
The exchange of gasses, like carbon dioxide, is a critical aspect of the ongoing and dynamic interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere. Scientists are very interested in the ocean's ability to absorb carbon dioxide that mankind's activities m...
Life Goes On: Vertebrates: Marine and Terrestrial
Marine biologists informally classify marine animals into two large groups: invertebrates and vertebrates. Vertebrates have backbones, while invertebrates do not. There are far more invertebrates than vertebrates in the ocean, but the vertebrates-wh...
Its in the Water: Water's Chemical Structure
Water's unique chemical structure gives it much higher freezing and boiling points than would otherwise be the case. This has a great deal to do with Earth being as hospitable to life as it is. That same chemical structure also gives water exception...
Its in the Water: Thermohaline Circulation
Thermohaline circulation is driven by differences in temperature and salinity, as opposed to circulation driven by wind. Understanding patterns of water movement may be crucial to better understanding global climate and climate change.
Its in the Water: Salinity, Density, and Temperature
Obtaining accurate salinity measurements is vitally important because salt, along with temperature, has a significant impact on the density of seawater. And this, in turn, greatly affects ocean structure and circulation.
Its in the Water: Seawater, Freshwater and Salt
While both seawater and freshwater contain a wide array of minerals and other constituents, the amount of salt in seawater is generally greater than in any other large body of standing water. There are a number of ways in which salt is added to seaw...
Life Goes On: Fishes: Sensory Mechanisms
Fishes survive in the ocean in part due to their sensory mechanisms. They utilize both sight and smell in this regard, as well as what's called a lateral line system. This is a series of pores and canals along the body and sometimes on the head that...
Treasure Trove: Commercial Uses of Sediment
Marine sediments are enormously important economically. Gravel and sand are obtained from the ocean for use as construction materials. In addition to offshore diamond deposits, tin and titanium are found in the ocean. Oil and natural gas resources a...