Marine Biology Site
Simply put, marine biology is the study of life in the oceans and other saltwater environments such as estuaries and wetlands. All plant and animal life forms are included from the microscopic picoplankton all the way to the majestic blue whale, the largest creature in the sea—and for that matter in the world..The study of marine biology includes a wide variety of disciplines such as astronomy, biological oceanography, cellular biology, chemistry, ecology, geology, meteorology, molecular biology, physical oceanography and zoology and the new science of marine conservation biology draws on many longstanding scientific disciplines such as marine ecology, biogeography, zoology, botany, genetics, fisheries biology, anthropology, economics and law.
-Latest Global Marine Biology News-
Sea Cucumbers: Dissolving Coral Reefs?
ScienceDaily (Dec. 22, 2011) — Coral reefs are extremely diverse ecosystems that support enormous biodiversity. But they are at risk. Carbon dioxide emissions are acidifying the ocean, threatening reefs and other marine organisms. New research led by Carnegie's Kenneth Schneider analyzed the role of sea cucumbers in portions of the Great Barrier Reef and determined that their dietary process of dissolving calcium carbonate (CaCO3) from the surrounding reef accounts for about half of at the total nighttime dissolution for the reef. The work is published December 23 by the Journal of Geophysical Research. Reefs are formed through the biological deposition of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Many of the marine organisms living on and around a reef contribute to either its destruction or construction. Therefore it is crucial that the amount of calcium carbonate remain in balance. When this delicate balance is disrupted, the reef ceases to grow and its foundations can be weakened. In order to fully understand a reef's ability to deposit carbonate and grow, it is necessary to understand the roles that the various elements of sea life play in this process. This is especially important because increased atmospheric carbon dioxide is predicted to decrease the amount of carbonate available due to acidification. The research group set out to examine the role that sea cucumbers play in the reef environment. Schneider's team included Carnegie's Ken Caldeira, as well as Jacob Silverman, of the Israeli Limnology and Oceanography Institute; Maria Byrne and Erika Woolsey, both of the University of Sydney and the latter also from James Cook University; and Hampus Eriksson of Stockholm University. They studied the growth and dissolution of One Tree Reef, which surrounds One Tree Island in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Focusing on an area of the reef known as "DK13," they found that sea cucumbers were abundant. They collected some of these sea cucumbers and placed them in aquaria to study the effect on sea water resulting from the sand and rubble transported through their gut system as part of their digestive process. As part of another ongoing study in this area, the team found that the coral reef was dissolving at night. They found that sea cucumbers play a crucial part in this process. They live off the bits of organic matter in the carbonate sand and rubble that they ingest; in this process, their digestive systems produce acids that dissolve parts of these carbonate minerals. The dissolved carbonate minerals are then released into the surrounding environment. The researchers found that these lowly organisms might be responsible for half of the CaCO3 of the reef observed at night. The burning of coal, oil, and gas releases CO2 into the atmosphere, which is later absorbed by the ocean, causing the ocean to acidify. Ocean acidification is expected to slow reef growth. With slower reef growth, the dissolution of CaCO3 within the guts of sea cucumbers is expected to become even more important to the reef CaCO3 budget. "Even though the sea cucumbers dissolve CaCO3 on the reef, in a lagoon such as the one at One Tree Reef, where there is limited seawater exchange with the surrounding ocean, they can be important in recycling of nutrients to support primary productivity. They also increase sea water buffer capacity to partially offset ocean acidification effects, helping to maintain the overall health of the coral reef," Schneider said. "Although sea cucumbers may play a part in reef dissolution, they are also an important part of an incredible marine environment." -Marina Club News-
Solat Hajat Perdana dan Bacaan Yaasin BioM
Pada 22 Disember 2011, Kelab Marina UMT telah mengadakan program solat hajat dan bacaan yaasin yang bertempat di Surau Al-Irfan. Program ini dianjurkan bersempena peperiksaan akhir yang akan menjelang tidak lama lagi dan mendoakan kejayaan semua pelajar Biologi Marin tahun 1,2 dan 3. Selamat berjaya kepada semua rakan-rakan Biologi Marin dan gunakan masa yang masih ada dengan bijak untuk mengulangkaji pelajaran
Final Year Students 2011/2012 Photography Session
On 20th December 2011, a photography session for Universiti Malaysia Terengganu students are held for the first annual university. year book. Formal and candid photo are taken while individual shot for each final year students are also taken to be included in the album.
Educational trip to Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok Thailand.
From 27th July to 2nd of August 2011, a group of 23 people from B Sc Marine Biology which include 2 lecturers, 1 staff and students went for an educational trip to Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok Thailand. This trip purpose is to change information between Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and Chulalongkorn University regarding related field, especially Marine Biology field. They also went to some interesting place such as Ko Si Chang Island, Aquatic Resources Research Institute, Phra Chuthathut Ratchathan Museum and Siam Ocean World.
Annual Grand Meeting Marina Club 2011 Pada 18 April 2011, Kelab Marina UMT telah mengadakan mesyuarat agung tahunan bagi pembubaran jawatankuasa sesi 2010/2011 dan pemilihan bagi jawantankuasa 2011/2012. Berikut adalah senarai jawatankuasa baru bagi sesi 2011/2012
Ahli Jawatankuasa Tertinggi Sesi 2011/2012 Presiden : Abdul Muhyi Bin Mohamad Hatta Naib Presiden 1 : Chua Wan Chyng Naib Presiden 2 : Farahanis Binti Mat Yaman Setiausaha : Rozaliana Binti Rosli Naib Setiausaha : Shazana Binti Sharir Bendahari : Nurul Shila Binti Mohd. Yusof Timbalan Bendahari : Mohd. Shahrul Hafiz Bin Abdul Ghani Exco Akademik : Nurazri Bin Razab : Cheong Chin Jou Exco Keusahawanan : Tira Zeliara Zaki Binti Md. Zaki Kahiruddin : Nurul Nur Hawa Binti Jaffar Exco Publisiti : Muhammad Effenddy Bin Abd Malek : Nik Nor Aini Nik Mohd Nasir Exco Sukan : Nik Nurul Asyikin Binti Nik Hassan : Abdul Rasyid Bin Kasman Exco Kebajikan : Fathiah Binti Mahsan Dengan ini diharapkan agar semua ahli Kelab Marina dapat bersama-sama membawa nama kelab ini sebagai kelab terbaik keseluruhan Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. Menjalankan tugas, -Admin- Kelab Marina UMT bergotong-royong bersihkan pantai
Adapted from Utusan Online
KUALA TERENGGANU 27 Sept. - Kelab Marina Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) menganjurkan program gotong-royong membersih pantai Tok Jembal, Mengabang Telipot di sini kelmarin. Ia diadakan sempena Hari Kelab Pantai Sedunia yang menarik penglibatan masyarakat antarabangsa, dilakukan serentak pada Sabtu minggu ketiga bulan ini setiap tahun. Pantai peranginan itu menjadi tumpuan umum bagi orang ramai di daerah ini setiap hari dengan persekitaran yang redup dan pantainya yang landai. Namun, pantai itu terdedah kepada sampah sarap yang terdampar setiap kali air pasang di samping tabiat pengunjung tidak mengendahkan kebersihan persekitaran. Kelab tersebut dalam satu kenyataan memberitahu, ia sebahagian daripada usaha untuk menyemaikan kesedaran dan menarik penglibatan masyarakat menghargai anugerah alam itu. Seramai 250 peserta bersama dalam gotong-royong itu yang turut disertai pelajar dari lima buah sekolah menengah berhampiran termasuk Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kompleks Gong Badak dan Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kompleks Mengabang Telipot. Sekolah Menengah (Sains) Sultan Mahmud, Sekolah Menengah Teknik Terengganu, Sekolah Menengah Teknik Wakaf Tembusu dan juga pelajar-pelajar Universiti Malaysia Terengganu. Program ini dijayakan dengan kerjasama pelbagai pihak termasuk Pejabat Pelancongan Terengganu, Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu, Persatuan Pencinta Alam Malaysia, Sabasun Hyperruncit dan Daiichi Express Enterprise Beach Cleanup Programme 2010 by Marina Club UMT
When the heat's on, some fish can cope: certain tropical species have greater capacity to deal with rising sea temperature than thought
ScienceDaily (Dec. 5, 2011) — Australian scientists have discovered that some tropical fish have a greater capacity to cope with rising sea temperatures than previously thought -- by adjusting over several generations.
The discovery, by researchers at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University and CSIRO sheds a ray of hope amid the rising concern over the future of coral reefs and their fish under the levels of global warming expected to occur by the end of the 21st century. Understanding the ability of species to acclimatise to rising temperatures over longer time periods is critical for predicting the biological consequences of global warming -- yet it remains one of the least understood aspects of climate science. The scientists were seeking to discover how fish would cope with the elevated sea temperatures expected by 2050 and 2100. "When we exposed damsel fish to water temperatures 1.5 degrees and 3 degrees above today's, there was a marked decline in their aerobic capacity as we'd expected," explains lead researcher Jennifer Donelson. "This affects their ability to swim fast and avoid predators." "However when we bred the fish for several generations at higher temperatures, we found that the second generation offspring had almost completely adjusted to the higher temperatures. We were amazed… stunned, even," she says. "It shows that some species can adjust faster than the rate of climate change." "When one generation of damselfish experiences high temperatures their whole life, the next generation is better able to cope with warmer water. We don't yet fully understand the mechanisms involved, but it doesn't seem to be simple Darwinian selection over a couple of generations," explains team leader Professor Philip Munday. "Instead, there has been a transmission of information between the generations that enables damselfish to adjust to higher water temperatures." The two temperatures used in the trial represent likely tropical ocean temperatures at the mid-century and by 2100, based on current trends in carbon dioxide emissions by humanity. A 3 degree increase in tropical ocean temperatures is the temperature predicted to occur if humanity's carbon dioxide emissions continue on their current trajectory. The unusual finding suggests that some fish may have an innate ability to cope with increased sea temperatures greater than previously thought, the researchers say. However they caution it applies so far only to a single coral reef fish species, and does not address the more complex issue of the survival of the coral habitat itself, and the effects of warming on plankton in the food chains on which fish depend. Also, there are likely to be penalties for fish that successfully adapt to higher temperatures, Jennifer Donelson says. Initial observations suggest that the acclimatized offspring are on average smaller than their parents, and we still do not know if they are able to reproduce at the same rate as their predecessors. Although the experiment has yet to run its full course, the researchers also say they do not expect the fishes' ability to adjust to higher temperatures to continue past 3 degrees. "At such a level of planetary warming there will be profound changes in Earth's ecosystems, affecting all forms of life, including humans," says Prof. Munday. However, assuming humans manage to gradually bring global warming under control, it is important to understand how well animals and plants can cope with higher temperatures, in order to manage ecosystems for optimum survival of their species and the services they provide. This research provides an early insight into the adaptive capacity of fish, the team says. This study reveals that transgenerational acclimation is a potentially important mechanism for coping with rapid climate change. Such acclimation could reduce the impact of warming temperatures and allow some fish populations to persist across their current range, instead of having to move away in search of cooler waters. konvo pic!some picture during the convocation have been uploaded, please wait for more picture. thanks. (click link)
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-Marine gallery-        Blue-ringed octopus
This golf ball-sized octopus is small, about 7 cm long, shy and hides in coral crevices or under rocks. It may look cute, harmless and attractive but is amongst the most dangerous creatures on the planet. Its venomous bite has claimed a number of human lives as its saliva contains TTX (tetrodotoxin) produced by a bacteria, one of the most potent neurotoxins for which there is no known antidote. TTX is considered to be a hundred times more powerful than potassium cyanide and is also found in certain organs in the pufferfish, porcupinefish, sunfish and a few other animals. The blue rings on its body are only clearly visible and pulsate when the octopus is agitated and about to bite. The bite is slight, reported to be accompanied by little or no pain, but will lead to muscular paralysis and respiratory failure that can lead to death if not treated early. For more information, read Dr. Roy Caldwell's article on blue-ringed octopuses.
Coral eating jellyfish!
Amazing new discovery in Israel! Near the city of Eilat in the Red Sea, scientists caught coral sucking in a large jellyfish. "During the survey we were amazed to notice some mushroom corals actively feeding on the moon jellyfish," says Ada Alamaru, Tel Aviv University, Israel. This is extremely strange behavior for corals since their regular diet usually includes only microscopic organisms called zooplankton (tiny drifting animals). Some corals consume organic debris. This is the first time ever reported that coral is feeding on a large jellyfish. "In fact we saw a few corals feeding and not only one," Ms Alamaru says. Scientists think that due to the climate change, jellyfish are over populating coral reefs and it seems that nature found a way to balance a large number of jellyfish. Ms Alamaru also suggests that ability to utilize a variety of food sources and to take advantage of such a bloom event gives the mushroom corals an advantage compared with other small polyped corals that are not able to feed on such large prey items.
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