Description
Who are we? Where do we come from? These are two of humankind’smost asked questions. Though scientists differ on the answer, one that still yearns to be solved irrefutably, there is one fact we know with certainty: where there is water there is life. Marine science is the ultimate requisite when exploring and understanding the world in which we live. Within our solar system, Earth is the only body to have not only enough water to support life, but also enough to foster virtually millions of species, many of which are still waiting to be revealed.
One finds it fascinating that we as human beings live each day above the unassuming seas while beneath them in reality lies a hidden ecosystem teeming with creatures and vegetation so bizarre they really seem to be inhabitants of another world. Some consider space the final frontier; yet the oceans of Earth are just as mysterious, and as far as we have come in understanding them, there is still so much to be discovered.
What would we give to know intimately and thoroughly our planet’s aquatic habitats? Descending to extreme depths in the vast waters of our world’s front yard demands equipment and technology as complex and advanced as those that travel into outer space. And what is our primary goal of nearly each rocket mission that powers its way into our solar system to rendezvous with another world? Primarily to search for one important element: water. And if on another world, one as close as Mars or the moons of Jupiter, we were to find liquid water, and with it perhaps ancient or newly forming life, it would undoubtedly generate a staffed mission. What if the most important person on that future mission were the marine biologist? What if that biologist were you? But how can we begin to understand water-generated life on other worlds without first grasping the secrets of our own?
This primer on marine science is the perfect start. Within these pages designed especially for you can be found a selected list of easy-to-follow terms, descriptions, drawings, biographies of the great people who have made historic contributions in marine science, a chronology of exploration and research, and straightforward charts to augment the terms and definitions.
There appear to be many very separate areas of science, but as we grow and each distinct caste becomes clear, we find that all science is tied together. Given the fact that three-quarters of Earth’s surface is covered in water, one cannot wonder why marine science is at the forefront of curiosity. We believe that in order to conquer the mysteries of our world, humankind must look first toward the sea.