Oceanography Discussion Short Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Oceanography Discussion Short - Essay Example The phyla colonizing the terrestrial environments diversified more due to widely ranging environmental conditions. b) The benthic environment has more species diversity than the pelagic environment (Berger & Shor 304; WÃ ¼rtz 28). This is because the pelagic environment is more homogenous unlike the benthic environment. Benthic habitats are more diverse and the supply of sediment, exposure to waves, light and currents, etc vary over short distances. Moreover, it provides a greater number of choices of habitat, for instance, organisms may live on the sea floor, as epifauna, or in it, as infauna (Berger & Shor 304). Thus, the varying habitat of the benthic environment offers greater opportunities for speciation. Whales possess a number of physiological adaptations that enable them to dive to great depths and stay submerged for very long time periods. This is possible because of a number of factors listed below: Whales and most other marine mammals have streamlined bodies, which reduce drag during swimming, thereby increasing the swimming efficiency apart from reducing oxygen consumption required during diving at greater depths. They have high concentrations of myoglobin when compared to terrestrial animals. Myoglobin binds oxygen in the muscle tissue and higher concentrations of it enable deep sea diving in anoxygenic conditions. (Sverdrup, Duxbury & Duxbury 363) Differences in fin structure: - Cruisers’ fins are designed for high speed while lungers’ fins are designed for increased maneuverability. Cruisers usually have lunate caudal fins while lungers usually have rounded fins. Differences in muscle fiber: - Cruisers mostly have red muscle fiber while lungers have white muscle fiber. Red muscle fiber has high myoglobin concentrations and so, has a higher affinity for oxygen. Therefore, cruisers’ muscles have more endurance and lower fatigue, and are adapted for speed. On the other hand, the white muscle fiber of lungers makes them less enduring because