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Physical and Chemical Characteristics of the Marine Environment

Physical and Chemical Characteristics of the Marine Environment
In general, water is most essential for the maintenance and activities in all life forms. Water is an important component of cell constituting about 80% of the weight of protoplasm. For the photosynthetic process in autotrophic plants, water itself is an important raw material. It is a universal solvent, which carries the necessary gases like oxygen and carbon dioxide and also the growth regulating minerals in dissolved condition. In aquatic environments, there is no problem of dessication and consequently no specialisation in the organisms.

In view of high transparency of water, photosynthesis is possible even at a relatively deeper level. The sea water can change from acid to alkaline condition and vice versa. This buffering nature is useful to organisms because an abundant supply of carbon dioxide is necessary for plants for photosynthesis. In case of alkaline condition, the construction of shells by marine organisms by using calcium carbonate is enhanced. The lower specific gravity of sea water is most beneficial to marine organisms. As the sea water contains large number of salts it is a most suitable, environment for living cells. Further it has been found that the ratio of total saIt content of seawater is almost same as that of body fluids of many invertebrates.

In general, the marine environment offers a wide range of living conditions. The salinity ranges from very dilute estuarine condition to as high as 37 %. Varying light conditions exist with brilliant sunlight at the surface waters to no light in the deep waters. Likewise, the pressure varies from 1 atmosphere at the surface to 1000 atmospheres at greater depths. These gradients of environmental  parameters are favourable to a number of sensitive animals. The more fluctuations of environmental features are especially encountered in coastal areas due to their peculiar physiographic characters. The water movement/  circulation is useful in the oxygenation of subsurface water, for the dispersal of metabolic wastes and plant and animal (growth) nutrients, and also for the disposal of spores, eggs, larvae and even adults

 
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