Marine biology is the scientific discipline that investigates the biology of organisms inhabiting marine and brackish environments, encompassing molecular to ecosystem scales. It examines physiological, genetic, and behavioral adaptations to saline conditions, pressure, light regimes, and hydrodynamics, as well as population dynamics, trophic interactions, and biogeochemical roles of marine taxa from microbes to megafauna. Marine biologists employ field surveys, experimental manipulations, remote sensing, and omics-based approaches to quantify biodiversity patterns, primary production, nutrient cycling, and responses to natural and anthropogenic stressors, thereby informing ecosystem modeling, conservation strategies, and management of living marine resources.
Volunteers are swimming in the sea to help science conserve some of the world's rarest fish. Scuba divers and snorkelers are among those helping to identify endangered species, such as giant guitarfishes, whip-stingrays and ...
Ecology
Sep 9, 2025
0
83
Whale watching is a popular pastime on coastlines around the world. Cetaceans like blue whales, humpbacks, and orcas can be seen in the wild, and their characteristics are well categorized in science and popular culture. ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 9, 2025
0
59
MBARI's advanced underwater technology is revealing the remarkable species that thrive in the deep sea. In 2019, MBARI researchers encountered an unfamiliar pink snailfish swimming just above the seafloor. New research from ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 8, 2025
0
2984
When you picture a shark, you probably think of a large, powerful predator cruising the open ocean.
Evolution
Sep 8, 2025
0
238
Every year, sea turtles hatch on Florida's beaches and make their way from the sand to the ocean—a critical journey that determines their chances of survival. As these hatchlings navigate obstacles such as artificial lights, ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 8, 2025
1
57
The movement of genetic material between organisms that aren't directly related is a significant driver of evolution, especially among single-celled organisms like bacteria and archaea. A team led by researchers at Bigelow ...
Evolution
Sep 6, 2025
0
167
Researchers at Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute have released a landmark review tracing four decades of changes in pelagic sargassum—free-floating brown seaweed that plays a vital role in ...
Ecology
Aug 28, 2025
3
1844
Marine biologists at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography have released a new database of size parameters for 1,308 species of Pacific coral reef fishes, advancing scientists' understanding of fish health and ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 27, 2025
0
17
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences confirms that fossilized remains of marine invertebrates can accurately reflect the functional diversity of past ecosystems—offering a powerful ...
Ecology
Aug 26, 2025
0
76
Some 390 million years ago in the ancient ocean, marine animals began colonizing depths previously uninhabited. New research indicates this underwater migration occurred in response to a permanent increase in deep-ocean oxygen, ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 25, 2025
1
2893
