Current Events in Marine Biology

Oceans represent the highest biodiversity in the world. From the smallest ocean creature (the humble microbe) to the largest mammal (the blue whale) on Earth, life in the marine environment is unpredictable. In recent times, more studies are done in marine science. It is estimated that 1 milligram of ocean water may contain 10 million viruses and 1 million bacteria. In addition, oceans serve as the greatest resource for humans. Marine fish provide the greatest percentage of protein and about one-third of the world's oil come from oceans. Let's take a look at some of the currents events in marine biology.

Ocean's Microbes and Earth's Future: In our school days, we must have heard a lot about the tiny microbes. Most importantly, we know them as pathogens for many diseases. Microbes dominate the biodiversity of the earth. In fact, they contribute to about 90 percent of the biomass in the oceans. It is these minute organisms that play an important role in maintaining the oxygen and carbon dioxide balance in the Earth's atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, the most important greenhouse gas responsible for global warming, is absorbed by the ocean microbes. It is known that some ocean microbes absorb methane (another greenhouse gas) and help in combating global warming. However, current research on ocean microbiology states that human activities have a profound effect on the population of microbes, which may be an important reason for climatic change.

Algal Sunscreens from the Sea: Among the many scientific achievements, algal sunscreens is one of them. Varieties of planktons inhabit the surface of the ocean. Due to the depletion of the ozone layer, the floating planktons are at risk of deleterious rays of the sun. In due course of time, some of the species may become extinct, whereas some may adapt to the prevailing environment. It is obvious that these surviving planktons may possess some compounds, which help in protecting them from the harmful sun's rays. Keeping this basic fact in mind, marine biologists are working on the identification and separation of these natural sunscreens for use in the skin care industry. In comparison to commercial skin care products, algal sunscreens are less harmful as they are prepared from a natural renewable source.

Unrusted Iron from the Ocean: Iron deficiency in the marine environment is a major issue for non-blooming of the planktons. Hence, in recent years, iron fertilization (natural introduction of iron) has been a concern for scientists worldwide. Since iron is a rare nutrient in the ocean, many scientists are of the opinion that introduction of iron dust will favor the growth of planktons, ultimately helping in carbon absorption and combating global warming. According to some scientists, adding carbon in the ocean will disturb the natural food chain of the ocean and will cause algal bloom. In the middle of this issue, is a surprising news, about the discovery of unrust iron on the ocean floor. A team of researchers have found that iron trapped by organic compounds from hydrothermal vents (fissure in the Earth's surface) are carried to the seawater. It is this iron that floats up onto the surface. Thus, scientists have discovered a natural mechanism for iron fertilization.

Coral in Human Bone Grafting: Corals are marine organisms of rich biodiversity. Hence, coral reefs are often referred to as tropical rain forests of the oceans. Since, the chemistry of corals is similar to human bone, it is used to replace bone grafts. It is shown that this method helps in easy and fast healing of the human bone. The method of using coral for bone grafting is mostly followed in Europe. In this procedure, porite coral is commonly used. Various studies have revealed that coral material contains negligible amount of protein, and hence, shows no inflammatory response.

Well! These are some of the path-breaking findings in marine biology. Presently, researches are ongoing on various marine biology issues such as oil spills in marine water, ability of some marine species to change their sex, life in the extreme environments of the ocean and synthesis of renewable energy source from ocean water.