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A Yellow Tang Marine life is concerned with the plants, animals and other organisms that live in the ocean. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifies species based on the environment rather than on taxonomy. For this reason marine life encompasses not only organisms that only lives in a marine environment, but also those whose lives revolve around the sea. At a fundamental level, marine life helps determine the very nature of our planet. Marine organisms produce much of the oxygen we breathe and probably help regulate the earth's climate. Shorelines are in part shaped and protected by marine life, and some marine organisms even help create new land. Marine biology covers a great deal, from the microscopic, including plankton and phytoplankton, which can be as small as 0.02 micrometres and are both hugely important as the primary producers of the sea, to the huge cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) which reach up to a reported 33 metres (109 feet) in length in the case of the blue whale. Read more... Giant squid, once believed to be mythical creatures, are squid of the Architeuthidae family, represented by as many as eight species of the genus Architeuthis. They are deep-ocean dwelling animals that can grow to a tremendous size: recent estimates put the maximum size at 10 meters (34 ft) for males and 13 meters (44 ft) for females from caudal fin to the tip of the two long tentacles (second only to the Colossal Squid at an estimated 14 meters (46 ft), one of the largest living organisms). The mantle length, though, is only about 2 meters (7 ft) in length (more for females, less for males), and the length of the squid excluding its tentacles is about 5 meters (16 ft). There were reported claims of specimens of up to 20 meters (66 ft), but none had been scientifically documented. More on giant squid Sir John Murray (March 3, 1841–March 16, 1914) was a pioneering Scots-Canadian oceanographer and marine biologist. Murray was born on 3 March 1841, at Cobourg, Ontario, Canada, to Scottish parents who had emigrated seven years earlier. He returned to Scotland to study, firstly at Stirling High School, and then at the University of Edinburgh, but soon left to join a whaling expedition to Spitsbergen as ships' surgeon in 1868. He returned to Edinburgh to complete his studies in geology under Sir Archibald Geikie and natural philosophy under Peter Guthrie Tait. Tait introduced Murray to Charles Wyville Thomson who had been appointed to lead the Challenger Expedition. In 1872, Murray joined Wyville Thomson as his assistant on this four-year expedition to explore the deep oceans of the globe. After Wyville Thompson succumbed to the stress of publishing the reports of the Challenger Expedition, Murray took over, and edited and published over 50 volumes of reports, which were completed in 1896. He was knighted (K.C.B) in 1898. Murray was killed when his car overturned near his home on March 16 1914 at Kirkliston, Edinburgh, and he is buried at the nearby Dean Kirkyard. More on John Murray First animals that spent their entire lives without any oxygen (anoxic waters) were discovered in depths of Mediterranean Sea. They belong to three new species from phylum Loricifera (one of new species pictured). Triggerfishes are the brightly coloured fishes of the family Balistidae. (pictured) Marked by lines and spots, they inhabit warm coastal waters of the Atlantic, Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific. Marbled hatchetfish are the only known fish that can actually fly by jumping into the air and moving their fins. The sea otter often keeps a stone tool in its armpit pouch. Some cichlid fish, crocodiles and frogs keep their eggs or young in their mouths or stomachs. The Horseshoe crab has blue, copper based blood. Template:/box-header Have a look at the Marine life WikiProject and sign up. Here are some tasks you can do, as organized by The Marine life Wikiproject: Collaboration of the week: Marine life article assessment Copyedit/extensive work: Ctenophora (phylum) Expand: Macrocystis pyrifera, Corallimorpharia, Corallimorphidae Requests: Caesioperca, Caprodon, Plectranthias, Lepidoperca Stubs: Sea apple, Tube-dwelling anemone, Corallimorphus, Corallimorphus niwa, Corallimorphus profundus Other: See the projects page Images: Upload any non-copyrighted marine life images to Wikimedia Commons Featured Articles/Good Articles: Other: Add {{Portal|Marine life}} to related articles Photo credit: Gerd Alberti and Uwe Kils The Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is a species of krill found in the Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean. Antarctic krill are shrimp-like invertebrates that live in large schools, called swarms, sometimes reaching densities of 10,000 - 30,000 individual animals per cubic meter. Although the uses for and reasons behind the development of their massive black compound eyes (pictured above) remain a mystery, there is no doubt that Antarctic krill have one of the most fantastic structures for vision seen in nature. Krill can shrink in size from one molt to the next, which is generally thought to be a survival strategy to adapt to scarce food supplies (a smaller body needs less energy, i.e., food). However, the animal's eyes do not shrink when this happens. The ratio between eye size and body length has thus been found to be a reliable indicator of starvation. More on the antarctic krill Biology Cetaceans Fish Sharks Gastropods Crustaceans Template:/box-header The Wikiproject associated with this portal is the Marine Life WikiProject Other WikiProjects include: Biology Oceans Tree of Life Birds Mammals Cetaceans Fishes Sharks Fisheries and fishing Amphibians and Reptiles Plants Cephalopods Gastropods Monotremes and Marsupials Aquaria AZA Member Zoos and Aquariums Botanists Cetaceans Dolphin Species Ecologists Ecoregions Mangrove Ecoregions Marine Aquarium Fish Species Porpoise Species Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance Ramsar sites in Scotland Ramsar Wetland sites in Pakistan Shark species Ramsar wetlands of Thailand Regional Bird Lists Regional Mammals Lists United States Fish and Wildlife Service list of endangered species Whale Species Zoos Template:/box-header Major Fields of Marine Biology: Marine Biology - Ecology - Zoology - Animal Taxonomy Specific Fields of Marine Biology: Herpetology - Ichthyology - Planktology - Ornithology Biologists: Zoologists - Algologists - Malacologists - Conchologists - Biologists - Marine Biologists - Anatomists - Botanists - Ecologists - Ichthyologists Organisms: Plants: Algae - Brown Algae - Green Algae - Red Algae - Sea Vegetables - Invertebrates: Cnidarians - Echinoderms - Molluscs - Bivalves - Cephalopods - Gastropods Fish: Fish - Bony fish - Lobe-finned fish - Ray-finned fish - Cartilaginous fish - Electric fish - Fish diseases - Rays - Sharks - Extinct fish - Fictional fish - Fisheries science - Fishing - Fishkeeping - Live-bearing fish Reptiles and Amphibians: Marine reptiles - Sea turtles - Mosasaurs - Sauropterygia Mammals: Marine mammals - Cetaceans - Pinnipeds - Sirenians Miscellaneous: Aquaria - Oceanaria - Agnatha - Endangered species - Aquatic biomes - Ecozones - Aquatic organisms - Cyanobacteria - Dinoflaggellates Template:/box-footer Ocean zones: Photic zone • Aphotic zone • Pelagic zone • Neritic zone • Littoral zone • Sublittoral zone • Benthic zone Plants and Algae: Algae • Brown algae • Red algae • Green algae • Seagrass • Phytoplankton Invertebrates: Squid • Cuttlefish • Crabs • Lobsters • Starfish • Sea Urchin • Jellyfish • Portuguese man o' war • Corals • Tunicates Fish: Lampreys • Jawless fish • Cartilagenous fish • Bony fish • Sharks • Rays • Skates • Coelacanths • Lungfish • Placodermi • Lobe-finned fish • Ray-finned fish • Sturgeons • Gars • Eels • Herrings • Salmon • Trout • Lancetfish • Anglerfish • Toadfish • Cods • Flyingfish • Seahorses • Flatfish • Scorpionfish • Cichlids Reptiles: Crocodiles • Alligators • Caiman • Gharial • Turtles • Sea turtles • Leatherback turtle • Marine iguana • Sea snakes Birds: Penguins • Sea gulls • Kittiwakes • Albatrosses • Sea ducks • Cormorants • Sea eagle • Guillemots • Puffins • Auks • Terns • Gannets • Osprey • Razorbill • Oystercatchers Mammals: Monotremes • Marsupials • Cetaceans • Whales • Dolphins • Porpoises • Pinnipeds • Walruses • True seals • Fur seals • Sea Lions • Sirenians • Manatees • Dugongs • Polar bear  • Sea otter • Marine otter • Blubber Represents a Featured article, Represents a Good article The following Wikimedia sister projects provide more on this subject: What are portals? 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