There are thousands of species of marine life, from tiny zooplankton to enormous whales. Each is adapted to the specific habitat it occupies. Fish can drink salt water, and eliminate the salt through their gills. Seabirds also drink salt water, and the excess salt is eliminated via the nasal, or "salt glands" into the nasal cavity, and then is shaken, or sneezed out by the bird. Whales don't drink salt water, instead getting the water they need from the organisms they eat.
Microscopic plants and animals called plankton are very important in the ocean because they become food for a lot of animals. They drift along with the currents in the water and are eaten by fish, scallops, anemones, and others. Krill are small creatures that look like shrimp. They eat plankton and are eaten by larger animals, such as whales and birds.
Another important dive was the Trieste. The Trieste's first dive was made in 1953. In the years following, the bathyscape was used for a number of oceanographic research projects, including biological observation, and in 1957 she was chartered and later purchased by the U.S. Navy. The Navy continued to use the bathyscape for oceanographic research off the coast of San Diego, and later used the Trieste for a submarine recovery mission off the U.S. east coast. The bathyscape was retired following the U.S. Navy's commission of the Trieste II external, and is currently on exhibit at the Washington Naval Historical Center external.
Today, the possibilities for ocean exploration are nearly infinite. In addition to scuba diving, rebreathers, fast computers, remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs), deep sea submersibles, reinforced diving suits, and satellites, other technologies are also being developed. But interdisciplinary research is needed to continue building our understanding of the ocean, and what needs to be done to protect it. In spite of ongoing technological advances, it is estimated that only 5% of the oceans have been explored. Surprisingly, we know more about the moon than we do the ocean. This needs to change if we are to ensure the longevity of the life in the seas-and they cover 71% of the earth's surface. Unlike the moon, they are our backyard. Without a detailed collective understanding of the ramifications of pollution, overfishing, coastal development, as well as the long-term sustainability of ocean oxygen production and carbon dioxide and monoxide absorption, we face great risks to environmental and human health. We need this research so that we can act on potential problems-not react to them when it is already too late.
Marine mammals need to come to the water surface to breathe, which is why the deep-diving whales have blowholes on top of their heads, so they can surface to breathe while keeping most of their body underwater. Whales can stay underwater without breathing for an hour or more because they make very efficient use of their lungs, exchanging up to 90% of their lung volume with each breath, and also store unusually high amounts of oxygen in their blood and muscles when diving.
Microscopic plants and animals called plankton are very important in the ocean because they become food for a lot of animals. They drift along with the currents in the water and are eaten by fish, scallops, anemones, and others. Krill are small creatures that look like shrimp. They eat plankton and are eaten by larger animals, such as whales and birds.
Another important dive was the Trieste. The Trieste's first dive was made in 1953. In the years following, the bathyscape was used for a number of oceanographic research projects, including biological observation, and in 1957 she was chartered and later purchased by the U.S. Navy. The Navy continued to use the bathyscape for oceanographic research off the coast of San Diego, and later used the Trieste for a submarine recovery mission off the U.S. east coast. The bathyscape was retired following the U.S. Navy's commission of the Trieste II external, and is currently on exhibit at the Washington Naval Historical Center external.
Today, the possibilities for ocean exploration are nearly infinite. In addition to scuba diving, rebreathers, fast computers, remotely-operated vehicles (ROVs), deep sea submersibles, reinforced diving suits, and satellites, other technologies are also being developed. But interdisciplinary research is needed to continue building our understanding of the ocean, and what needs to be done to protect it. In spite of ongoing technological advances, it is estimated that only 5% of the oceans have been explored. Surprisingly, we know more about the moon than we do the ocean. This needs to change if we are to ensure the longevity of the life in the seas-and they cover 71% of the earth's surface. Unlike the moon, they are our backyard. Without a detailed collective understanding of the ramifications of pollution, overfishing, coastal development, as well as the long-term sustainability of ocean oxygen production and carbon dioxide and monoxide absorption, we face great risks to environmental and human health. We need this research so that we can act on potential problems-not react to them when it is already too late.
Marine mammals need to come to the water surface to breathe, which is why the deep-diving whales have blowholes on top of their heads, so they can surface to breathe while keeping most of their body underwater. Whales can stay underwater without breathing for an hour or more because they make very efficient use of their lungs, exchanging up to 90% of their lung volume with each breath, and also store unusually high amounts of oxygen in their blood and muscles when diving.
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