Early marine biologists studied plants and animals from deep waters by using nets and other devices to collect samples. The development of scuba diving equipment has enabled biologists to observe marine organisms in their natural habitats, especially in the clear tropical waters along coral reefs. Scientists also can visit the deepest parts of the ocean in special underwater craft. Marine biologists who usually study life in deepwater regions are called biological oceanographers. What marine biologists do.
Marine biologists describe and classify marine organisms.
They try to determine how these organisms develop, how they obtain food, how they reproduce, how they interact with other organisms, and why particular groups of organisms live in different regions of the ocean. The work of marine biologists becomes increasingly important as people use more and more of the ocean's resources for food and recreation. Marine biologists seek to learn how extensively marine plants and animals can be harvested as food without destroying their natural populations. These scientists also investigate whether or not certain human activities, such as dumping waste products in the ocean, harm marine life. Marine biologists try to discover what substances marine organisms produce that can be used to treat human diseases.