Marine Organism Classification

It is hard to determine exactly how many marine species exist because of the vastness of their environment. With so many known marine species in existence, scientists have created ways to classify them into categories so they can be studied. Organisms with similar characteristics are grouped with others that share those characteristics. This method of classification is called phylogenetic classification. The categories in the classification system are as follows:

• Kingdom
• Phylum
• Class
• Order
• Family
• Genus
• Species

There are five kingdoms in this classification system which includes Monera, Plantae, Animalia, Fungi, and Protista. Organisms are grouped according to certain characteristics. The most commonly used characteristics for grouping marine organisms are habitat and mobility. Many of these characteristics are adaptations marine organisms have developed to find success in their environments.