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Abstract:
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The marine environment is indubitably the largest contiguous habitat on
Earth. Because of its vast volume and area, the influence of the world ocean on
global climate is profound and plays an important role in human welfare and
destiny. The marine environment encompasses several habitats, from the sea
surface layer down through the bulk water column, which extends >10,000 meters
depth, and further down to the habitats on and under the sea floor. Compared to
surface habitats, which have relatively high kinetic energy, deep-ocean circulation
is very sluggish. By comparison, life in the deep sea is characterized by a relatively
constant physical and chemical environment. Deep water occupying the world
ocean basin is a potential natural resource based on its properties such as low
temperature, high pressure and relatively unexplored properties. So, a judicious
assessment of the marine resources and its management are essential to ensure
sustainable development of the country’s ocean resources.
Marine sediments are complex environments that are affected by both
physiological and biological factors, water movements and burrowing animals.
They encompass a large extent of aggregates falling from the surface waters. In
aquatic ecosystems, the flux of organic matter to the bottom sediments depend on
primary productivity at the ocean surface and water depth. Over 50% of the earth’s
surface is covered by deep-sea sediments that are primarily formed through the
continual deposition of particles from the productive pelagic waters (Vetriani et al.,
1999). These aggregates are regarded as ‘hot spots’ of microbial activity in the
ocean (Simon et al., 2002). This represents a good nutritional substrate for
heterotrophic bacteria and favours bacterial growth |