Introductory Chapter: Marine Ecology—Biotic and Abiotic Interactions

Abstract

The vastness of the oceans, the largest continuous environment on earth, has provided a safe shelter for about 20% of all living organisms until the beginning of industrial revolution. Since then, this once invincible environment has been under constant change and destruction, the results of which now are threatening all life forms on earth. With this rate of destruction, we are possibly losing our window of opportunity to protect aquatic biodiversity and learn how aquatic organisms evolved to find ways for adapting life in water. Marine Ecology, in its simplest terms the study of marine organisms and their habitats, continues to provide fundamental information to better understand the effects of global changes on eco-biology of organisms.