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Marine mammals form a diverse group of 129 species that rely on the ocean for their existence. [5] [6] They are an informal group unified only by their reliance on marine environments for feeding. [7] Despite the diversity in anatomy seen between groups, improved foraging efficiency has been the main driver in their evolution.
Marine life, sea life or ocean life is the collective ecological communities that encompass all aquatic animals, plants, algae, fungi, protists, single-celled microorganisms and associated viruses living in the saline water of marine habitats, either the sea water of marginal seas and oceans, or the brackish water of coastal wetlands, lagoons ...
Livestock make up 62% of the world's mammal biomass; humans account for 34%; and wild mammals are just 4% [275] Mammals serve a major role in science as experimental animals, both in fundamental biological research, such as in genetics, [276] and in the development of new medicines, which must be tested exhaustively to demonstrate their safety ...
Marine mammals are aquatic mammals that rely on the ocean for their existence. They include animals such as sea lions, whales, dugongs, sea otters and polar bears. Like other aquatic mammals, they do not represent a biological grouping. [26] The humpback whale is a fully aquatic marine mammal.
Marine mammals comprise over 130 living and recently extinct species in three taxonomic orders. The Society for Marine Mammalogy, an international scientific society, maintains a list of valid species and subspecies, most recently updated in October 2015. [1] This list follows the Society's taxonomy regarding and subspecies.
The Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is a marine mammal belonging to the suborder of baleen whales.At up to 33 metres (110 ft) in length and 181 metric tonnes (200 short tons) or more in weight, it is believed to be the largest animal to have ever lived, though some fragmentary dinosaur discoveries such as the colossal Amphicoelias fragillimus may challenge this long-held belief.
Non-flowering plants range from microscopic plants through to seaweed or kelp up to 5 meters in height. Many animals feed on kelp and kelp provides sheltered habitats for yet others. Sea grass is the only type of flowering plant that grows in British seas, but it nonetheless forms vast beds.
This is typically found where rivers meet the ocean or sea. The wildlife found within estuaries is unique as the water in these areas is brackish - a mix of freshwater flowing to the ocean and salty seawater. [16] Other types of estuaries also exist and have similar characteristics as traditional brackish estuaries. The Great Lakes are a prime ...