MARINE ECOLOGY: HISTORY, RISK FACTORS, PUBLICATIONS - ENVIRONMENT - 2025

The marine ecology is a discipline that stems from ecology and whose main objective is to study the marine biosphere and the impact of the relationship or the presence of other organisms. Different aspects are studied, both at a chemical and physical level.

Other scientific areas are involved in the study and development of marine ecology. Elements of geology, geography, meteorology, chemistry and physics are necessary to understand the variations that occur in the marine habitat.

Source: Mudasir Zainuddin, via Wikimedia Commons.

The role of man is also very important when it comes to delving into the study of marine environments. The impact generated by the activities of people, which act directly on these ecosystems when carrying out activities such as fishing, forestry and even when doing marine research, is taken into account.

History

At the end of the 19th century, ecology was divided into four basic branches, focusing on the study of plants, animals, fresh waters, and marine ecology. This was maintained until the 20th century, but new areas of study appeared that have to do with populations and ecosystems.

Of the various branches that ecology studies, the marine is perhaps the most complicated discipline. To begin with, it is included within oceanography. Furthermore, the history of marine ecology is divided into three different stages.

It was a science that emerged around 1870. First, platforms for study were created in marine areas of Europe and America. Then scouting trips were made and finally the research on plankton began.

Marine stations

The first stations appeared a little before 1870, but it was in that year that the presence was really noticeable in some areas of Europe and in the United States. The most important was Anton Dohrn's Naples station.

The relevance of the installation of these stations around the world was that the amount of knowledge and publications that existed after that moment was of an impressive level. Many resources were spent on new equipment and boats.

One of the most important moments in marine ecology occurred when England invested in a vessel that went by the name of Challenger. With that ship, studies were carried out for almost four years.

It reached important depths that made it possible to collect samples of different species and was a vital moment for the development of the discipline.

The role of environmentalists

The study of marine ecology is usually a more complex job than you can think of. There are a large number of elements that affect ecosystems. That is why environmentalists engaged in marine studies must place special emphasis on analyzing the marine biosphere as a whole.

Risk factor's

More than 90% of the water that exists on the planet refers to the liquid found in the seas and oceans. Its great extension means that there are many factors that affect this ecosystem.

The alterations and effects have increased especially in recent years, especially as a result of human action. Climate changes, pollution, glaciers that are melting, the decrease in the pH of the water are factors that endanger the aquatic habitat.

The detail with many of these problems is that they occur so fast that many of the marine organisms do not have time to adapt to new living conditions and end up suffering. As a consequence, the loss of many of the species occurs, as well as the migration of others and alterations in the lifestyle and even mutations.

The change in temperatures is one of the most important problems in marine habitats since it affects the normal cycles of all species. The greater amount of CO2 present in the atmosphere causes a greater presence of hydrogen in the water and the problem is that the oceans absorb more than 20% of the emissions found in the environment.

These variations have also increased due to the increasing level of melting water in the polar areas of the world.

Examples

Some examples of the impact that marine habitats suffer can be observed each time the El Niño phenomenon occurs.

This climatic event causes the temperature of the water in the Pacific Ocean to rise considerably. This brings changes for marine communities because the nutrients present are affected and causes important consequences for fauna.

Another example of risk factors that can affect the marine biosphere occurs as a consequence of environmental pollution. The amount of CO2 that is in the atmosphere is increasing. This also affects the waters, as it lowers the pH level. If this value continues to decrease, marine life will suffer very important effects.

Initiatives

The National Center for Ecological Synthesis and Analysis (NCEAS for its acronym in English) exposes the different projects that are being carried out or that are being developed to take care of marine ecology and enhance its conservation.

In addition, 29 European Union countries are currently participating in the MERCES Project (Marine Ecosystem Restoration in Changing European Seas) where more than six million euros have been invested in order to preserve different marine environments.

Biology vs. Ecology

Although they seem like similar terms and are closely related, one must be very careful not to confuse the terms marine biology with marine ecology. Biologists focus a lot on the relationships between organisms and the behaviors they perform.

While ecology focuses on the factors that allow the ecosystem to exist, the study of behaviors has more to do with how one organism impacts a different organism.

Publications

The most important publication is that of the Experimental Journal of Marine Biology and Ecology. There, different research and scientific advances are grouped to explain the current situation of marine environments.

There is also the Marine Ecology Progress Series, which is a publication that was born in 1979 and where great importance is given to studies that allow us to understand more about ecology.

Another important example is the journal Marine Ecology. It deals with issues of other disciplines as well, such as genetics, the history of nature, oceanography, but everything always focused on ecology.

References

1. Attrill, M. (1998). A rehabilitated estuarine ecosystem. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
2. Cushing, D. (1980). Marine ecology and fisheries. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
3. Hughes, R. (2009). An Introduction to Marine Ecology. John Wiley & Sons.
4. Speight, M. (2013). Marine Ecology. Wiley-Blackwell.
5. Valiela, I. (1984). Marine ecological processes; with 220 figures. New York: Springer.