Marine biology

small rigid plate that grows out of an animal's skin

scientific study of organisms in the ocean or other marine or brackish bodies of water

thumb|A bigfin reef squid displaying considerably developed ocular, locomotive, and bioluminescent organs, all particularly of interest to the malacological study of its class [[Cephalopoda]]

part of a sea, lake or river that is close to the shore

layer of the pelagic zone of the ocean; the deeper part of the midnight zone which starts in the bathypelagic waters above, the area below the abyssal zone is the sparsely inhabited hadal zone

web-based database of marine species

area between tide marks

right|thumb|300px|A researcher fires a biopsy dart at an [[orca. The dart will remove a small piece of the whale's skin and bounce harmlessly off the animal.]]

among the largest of Earth's aquatic ecosystems

rocky pool on seashore, separated as pool at low tide, filled with seawater

biological phenomena in the sea

unintended migration of marine species across the Suez Canal

living on, in, or near the bottom of the body of salt- or fresh-water they inhabit (eg: cod, flounder, halibut, sole...)

pattern of movement used by some organisms living in the ocean and in lakes

habitat that supports marine life

thumb|300px|Leptocephalus larva A leptocephalus (meaning "slim head") is the flat and transparent larva of eels and other members of the superorder Elopomorpha. This is one of the most diverse groups of teleosts, containing 801 species in 4 orders, 24 families, and 156 genera. This group is thought to have arisen in the Cretaceous period over 140 million years ago.

Spongin, a modified type of collagen protein, forms the fibrous skeleton of most organisms among the phylum Porifera, the sponges. It is secreted by sponge cells known as spongocytes.

fish migration off the shores of South Africa

Euphylliidae (Greek eu-, true; Greek phyllon, leaf) are known as a family of polyped stony corals under the order Scleractinia.

fishing method

biological census

location where aquatic life such as fish congregate to be cleaned

Japanese remotely operated underwater vehicle for deep sea exploration

species of fish

period of time during which salmon migrate upriver to spawn

hard shell of some spherical marine animals, notably sea urchins and microorganisms such as testate foraminiferans, radiolarians, and testate amoebae

thumb|Diatoms, such as the diatom pictured here [[Phaeodactylum tricornutum, often contain diadinoxanthin pigments.]] Diadinoxanthin is a pigment found in phytoplankton. It has the formula C40H54O3. It gives rise to the xanthophylls diatoxanthin and dinoxanthin.

thumb|A common octopus (Common Octopus|Octopus vulgaris) thumb|Caribbean reef squid Sepioteuthis sepioidea on Bari Reef, [[Bonaire, BES Islands]] thumb|Large cuttlefish Sepia sp. from Komodo National Park thumb|Researching teuthologist, Heather Judkins is a faculty member at University of South Florida (USF). This image is from the USF website, specifically her research lab's website. Teuthology, from Ancient Greek τευθίς (teuthís), meaning "squid", and λόγος (lógos), meaning "study", is the study of cephalopods, which are members of the class Cephalopoda in the phylum Mollusca. Some common ex

type of soil formed by sedimentation in estuaries

thumb|right|This female specimen of the queen conch, Aliger gigas, shows signs of imposex: it has developed a male sexual organ (verge) due to previous exposure to [[organotin compounds.]] Imposex is a disorder observed in certain marine and freshwater gastropod mollusks, where female individuals develop male sexual characteristics, such as a penis and vas deferens, due to exposure to specific environmental pollutants. This condition is primarily induced by organotin compounds, notably tributyltin (TBT), which have been widely used in antifouling paints for ships to prevent biofouling. Unlike

thumb|upright=1.2|Cyanobacteria|Filamentous cyanobacteria growing on an underwater surface

high pressure aquarium

wildland-ocean interface

marsh with brackish levels of salinity

online marine biology database

mixture of dissolved mineral salts (and sometimes vitamins) that simulates seawater

biological water filter that uses light to grow algae which removes undesirable chemicals from aquarium water

thumb|Biorock forming on rebar in [[seawater in the presence of a small electric current to form an electrified reef]] Biorock (also seacrete) is a cement-like engineering material formed when a small electric current is passed between underwater metal electrodes placed in seawater causing dissolved minerals to accrete onto the cathode to form a thick layer of limestone. This 'accretion process' can be used to create building materials or to create artificial 'electrified reefs' for the benefit of corals and other sea-life. Discovered by Wolf Hilbertz in 1976, biorock was protected by patents

juvenile form of some flatworms

any life form too small for the naked human eye to see that lives in a marine environment

excrement of whales and its role in the ecology of the oceans

thumb|Leucophore layer composition

process whereby an aquatic animal obtains oxygen from water

study of intertidal ecosystems, where organisms live between the low and high tide lines

marine research institute in Okinawa, Japan

species of protist

Meristics is an area of zoology and botany which relates to counting quantitative features of animals and plants, such as the number of fins or scales in fish. A meristic (countable trait) can be used to describe a particular species, or used to identify an unknown species. Meristic traits are often described in a shorthand notation called a meristic formula.