Marine life
Marine life comprises organisms that live in the ocean, including animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms adapted to marine environments.
Marine ecosystem: A community of organisms interacting with one another and with the physical conditions of a marine environment. Marine life forms the living communities at the center of these ecosystems.
Fisheries: The harvesting and management of wild fish and other aquatic organisms. Fisheries depend on marine populations and can alter their abundance.
Marine conservation: The protection and sustainable management of marine species, habitats, and ecosystems. It addresses threats to marine life through policy, research, and habitat protection.
Deep-sea exploration: The investigation of ocean regions far below the surface, including their geology and life. Vast deep-ocean areas remain poorly sampled, leaving many organisms undocumented.
Terrestrial life: Organisms that live primarily on land rather than in aquatic environments. Comparing land and ocean life highlights differences in support, water balance, and gas exchange.
Marine biodiversity: The variety of genes, species, and ecosystems found in marine environments. It describes the breadth of organisms included under marine life.
Aquaculture: The farming of aquatic organisms in controlled or managed environments. Marine species are cultivated for food, restoration, and commercial products.
Marine pollution: The introduction of harmful substances or energy into the marine environment. Pollutants can injure organisms, disrupt reproduction, and move through food webs.
Marine microbial loop: The recycling pathway by which microbes process dissolved organic matter and return nutrients to marine food webs. Its changing contributions to ocean carbon and energy flows remain difficult to quantify.
Freshwater ecosystem: An ecosystem in inland water with low concentrations of dissolved salts. Freshwater organisms face different salinity and habitat conditions from marine life.