Download Marine Science

The Scientist In You
What is a scientist?
• Someone who uses the processes of
science to find answers about how
and why things work…
…in the world.
…in the observable universe.
• This is what makes science an
adventure full of discovery and
wonder.
• Science is about facts and how
you analyze those facts. Doing this
analysis is called the “scientific process”
and when you use it, you are a
scientist.
The Ocean Planet
 The oceans produce two influences
vital to life on Earth.
 Weather and world climate patterns dictate how warm,
cold, wet, or dry it will be.
 This largely determines where humans live on land.
 In addition, the oceans provide three important
marine resources:
Food • Oxygen • Natural Resources (such as oil)

The Importance of The Ocean
 Humans have seen all of the Earth’s surface, but there’s far
more to discover below than on it.
 Humans increasingly change the oceans; pollution
and overfishing have caused serious damage, coral
reefs are dying off, and there’s more.
 What you learn here about the science of investigation
and problem-solving, regardless of your final career
choice, benefits you by making you a more capable
person who contributes to society.
Marine Science
 Marine Science – the process of discovering the
facts, processes, and unifying principles that
explain the nature of the oceans and their
associated life forms.
 Oceanography – the science of recording and
describing the ocean’s contents and processes.
 There are four main branches of oceanography.
 Biological oceanography – studies life in the ocean.
 Chemical oceanography – studies the chemistry of seawater.
 Geological oceanography – studies the geology of the ocean.
 Physical oceanography – studies the physics within the
marine environment.
 Technology has made marine exploration and
its associated careers possible. It is through
technology that true marine exploration has
become possible.
Integrating the Sciences
Marine Science – draws on research from all three
of the traditional sciences to understand what is
observed in the ocean. Marine science is truly an
interdisciplinary course of study. Most marine
scientists have training in all three of the traditional
science disciplines.
1. Physical Science – study of matter and energy
and their interactions.
2. Life Science – study of living things and their
interactions with their environments.
3. Earth and Space Science – study of the
physical Earth, the solar system, the universe and
their interrelationships.
What is Science?
Science is a body of knowledge and an organized method used to gain
knowledge about the observable universe.
…Technology – A Benefit and a Burden
A technology is a material system that produces intended results or in a
general sense, knowledge of those systems.
Technology has both improved and threatened daily life.
 Benefit - health care, transportation, communication, agriculture
and exploration.
 Burden - issues such as pollution spills and global warming.
There are three broad actions that society can take with respect to the
effects of science and technology on the environment:
 1. Consider the environment a lost cause and disregard the effects.
 2. Dismiss the effect as overstated by scientists and inconsequential.
 3. Prioritize the consequences to the environment in developing
and applying technologies.
Without a doubt, the last broad action appears the most logical.