CHAPTER 1History

The world may ocean be considered as a single entity with temporary partitions. It covers 71% of the earth’s surface

Marine science—oceanography –is the process of discovering unifying principles in data obtained from the ocean

Science is the process of asking questions about the observable world and then testing the answers to those questions. The external world , not internal; conviction, is the testing ground for scientific beliefs.

The ocean did not prevent humans from occupying nearly place on Earth that could sustain them

The origin of marine species lie in voyaging—traveling on the ocean for a purpose. Technological advances made during voyaging and later marine exploration led to the rise of scientific oceanography.

Earth's shape and circumference were accurately estimated around 230 B.C. at the Library of Alexandria, Egypt. The use of latitude and longitude for positioning and navigation also began there.

Christopher Columbus did not discover North America and he did not sail around the world.

Captain James Cook, Royal Navy, was perhaps the first ocean observer careful enough to be considered a marine scientist

The Challenger expedition was the first purely scientific voyage of ocean exploration

Polar studies greatly advanced marine science at the beginning of the 20th century.

Nearly all the research conducted not by individuals but by teams of specialists working in large, nationally funded oceanographic or military institutions

The tools of modern oceanography include satellites, manned and unmanned (ROV), computer modeling.