UNIT 1:1 INTRODUCTION TO MARINE SCIENCE

What is Marine Science?

It is the study of living organisms

and their relationship to the
chemical, physical and geological
nature of the ocean.

It has two main divisions:

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Marine Biology and Oceanography © Carol Matthews
Marine Biology and Oceanography

living organisms’ taxa tides, waves, currents

characteristics of growth ocean floor geology
food web interactions water chemistry

branches: branches:
veterinary medicine engineering
resource management archeology
aquaculture military
education meteorology
behavior/psychology energy management

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Marine Biology and Oceanography © Carol Matthews
There are seven Ocean Literacy principles covered during this
year’s course of study in many ways. These Ocean Literacy
Principles are correlated to the National Science Education
Standards (NSES) Science Content Standards. They will be
highlighted in your notes.

 Principle #1: The Earth has one big ocean with many features.

 Principle #2: The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features
of Earth.

NASA

Marine Biology and Oceanography © Carol Matthews 3

 NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory

 Principle #3: The ocean is a major influence on weather and climate.

 Principle #4: The ocean made the Earth habitable.

Marine Biology and Oceanography © Carol Matthews 4

 Principle #5: The ocean supports a
great diversity of life and ecosystems.

 Principle #6: The ocean and humans are inextricably interconnected.

Marine Biology and Oceanography © Carol Matthews 5

 Principle #7: The ocean is largely unexplored.

Marine Biology and Oceanography © Carol Matthews 6

 Water Safety Tips:
1. Always swim with a buddy

2. Know your limits - tired, cold

divers make more errors
3. Wear a life jacket in the boat and
stay with the boat if capsized.

4. Feet first entry avoids head injury

5. Prevent and prepare for emergencies

6. Recognize hypothermia and hyperthermia

7. Respond with CPR, life-guard training or call professionals

8. Let someone on shore know your plans

9. Know the unerwater hazards

10. Check local weather for storms, lightening and flooding 7

Marine Biology and Oceanography © Carol Matthews

Water temperature is a big factor for survival that experience,
training and safety procedures can not overcome.

at 80o indefinite time limit in the water

at 60o 2-24 hour time limit

at 50o 30 minutes to 3 hours limit

at 32o less than one hour limit

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Marine Biology and Oceanography © Carol Matthews
 SCUBA is an acronym for the Self Contained Underwater
Breathing Apparatus invented by Cousteau.

What began as a war-time application, SCUBA has now opened up

the ocean to millions of people for recreation and research. Like
many other sports, diver certification is required to avoid the
dangers that proper training can prevent. 9
Marine Biology and Oceanography © Carol Matthews
 SCUBA
Equipment

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Marine Biology and Oceanography © Carol Matthews
1. Decompression sickness (the Bends) - caused by surfacing
too rapidly for excess nitrogen in your blood to be eliminated
by breathing.

The result is bubbles that expand

and damage body tissue or cause
pain.

Divers learn to surface slowly and

when to make necessary
decompression stops.

2. Nitrogen narcosis - at depths, nitrogen is forced into the blood

stream and has an anesthetic quality that impairs judgment and
may cause the diver to become unconscious.

The depth that narcosis occurs depends on the experience of the

diver and the length of the dive. 11

Marine Biology and Oceanography © Carol Matthews