The Structures & Adaptations to Marine Living

The Structures & Adaptations to Marine Living
MarineBio.org

Over the last 2000 million years, plant and animal life on earth has continuously evolved from its simple beginnings in the oceans to the complex existence lived today. It's no accident that protoplasm, a substance found in every living cell, strongly resembles seawater. Although some animals emerged from the sea millions of years ago to fill all available niches on land, some remained in the ocean and evolved and adapted to life beneath the surface.

The ocean covers the majority of the planet, yet it remains a little understood realm as scientists are limited in the study of habitats that lack physical boundaries and can span thousands of miles.

Each form of marine life has become adapted to a specific niche with a relatively narrow variation in salinity, temperature, and light. The high salt content found in the ocean can support the large bodies of giant squids and whales, which has allowed them to evolve without the use of strong limbs for support. Nevertheless, salt water exerts enormous pressure on marine animals. For every 30 feet of water, pressure increases by 15 pounds per square inch. Creatures that live below 300 feet must withstand at least 150 pounds of pressure on every inch of their bodies. The bodies of creatures highly adapted to extreme depths can actually explode if they reach the surface.

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