in this video we're going to be discussing the question what is marine biology marine biology is the scientific study of the organisms that live in the ocean as well as their interactions with each other and their environment marine biologists study a wide range of organisms from Tiny phytoplankton to large marine mammals and everything in between the study of marine biology involves a wide variety of disciplines such as chemistry cell biology astronomy geology and other Natural Sciences marine biology is a broad field of study and some people prefer to specialize in a specific area there are some key areas of research in Marine Biology including Marine biodiversity marine ecosystems and also the study of human impacts on the ocean let us take a look at each of these three areas in more detail the first area of study we're going to look at is Marine biodiversity this includes documenting the different species of organisms that live in the ocean as well as understanding the patterns of diversity and the factors that drive them this research is important for conservation efforts as it helps us to identify which areas and which species are most in need of protection biodiversity study can also help to identify any invasive species which can pose a threat to other organisms or the environment another area of research is the study of marine ecosystems examples of some of these ecosystems are coral reefs mangroves deep sea environments and intertidal areas this area of research includes understanding the interactions between different organisms and their environment it also includes understanding the processes that Drive primary productivity in the ocean such as photosynthesis by phytoplankton as well as the food webs and energy flow that sustain marine life finally marine biology also includes the study of human impacts on the ocean human activities such as fishing pollution and climate change can have significant impacts on marine ecosystems and the organisms that live in them understanding these impacts and developing effective management strategies is important for ensuring the long-term health of our oceans overall marine biology is a fascinating and important field of study that has many practical applications by understanding the organisms that live in the ocean and their interactions with each other and their environment we can better protect and manage this important resource for future Generations