During recent years, large-scale investigations into global climate change and other highly visible issues have taken the lion's share of declining research funds. At the same time, funding for basic research in such core disciplines as physical oceanography, biological oceanography, chemical oceanography, and marine geology has dwindled. Global Ocean Science examines how the largest U.S. ocean research ... Full description.

What can sharks teach us about our immune system? What can horseshoe crabs show us about eyesight? The more we learn about the ocean, the more we realize how critical these vast bodies of water are to our health and well-being. Sometimes the ocean helps us, as when a marine organism yields a new medical treatment. At other times, the ocean poses the threat of coastal storm surges or toxic algal ... Full description.

This book describes the development of ocean sciences over the past 50 years, highlighting the contributions of the National Science Foundation (NSF) to the field's progress. Many of the individuals who participated in the exciting discoveries in biological oceanography, chemical oceanography, physical oceanography, and marine geology and geophysics describe in the book how the discoveries were made ... Full description.

Despite our reliance on the ocean and its resources, it remains a frontier for scientific exploration and discovery. Seafloor observatories - unmanned systems of instruments, sensors, and command modules - will have power and communication capabilities to provide support for spatially distributed sensing systems and mobile platforms. Illuminating the Hidden Planet is a voyage to the bottom of the ... Full description.

This resource explains how the oceans became salty. Topics include the source of the salt, how rainwater dissolves rock and carries the material away as dissolved ions, and the two most common ions in seawater. A link to additional information is also provided. Full description.

Well written and easy-to-understand primer with definition and measurements of salinity. Explains the origin of the ocean, sources of salts and processes affecting its chemical composition, including the hydrologic cycle. Introduces the complexity of salinity, many constituents of seawater, and variability of ocean salinity worldwide. Discusses the compounds that marine plants and animals extract ... Full description.

Chemical Oceanography is part of the site characterization describing the physical setting of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). This site describes chemical sources, chemical sinks, and water column characteristics and processes in MBNMS, including nutrients, trace metals, and organics. There is also a page of selected resources for additional information. Full description.

This essay with a field journal focus reports on a family vacation to the Dead Sea, where the saltiness of the water made it difficult to keep their feet underwater. The reasons for the salinity level of this sea, along with what scientists do and do not know about why the ocean is so salty is also included in the essay. There is also an overview of the importance of salt to humans and the chemistry ... Full description.

This dataset includes a broad suite of biogeochemical measurements, particularly dissolvable iron. The measurements span the time period from August 1998 to December 2004 and were taken at the most inshore station of a set of three which are maintained by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). The data show a large pulse of dissolvable iron consistently occurring during the first spring ... Full description.

This reference discusses the composition and chemistry of seawater, and how they affect organisms in the sea. Topics include salinity, temperature, density, dissolved gases, dissolved nutrients, and pH. Full description.