Course Offerings
OC 201 – Oceanography
Plate tectonics and the geological structure of ocean basins; physical and chemical properties of seawater; Earth’s energy budget; large-scale circulation of the atmosphere and ocean; marine sediment properties and transport; Earth history recorded in marine sediments; the carbon cycle in the atmosphere and sea; and the ecology of pelagic and benthic systems. Lec/lab. (Bacc Core Course)
OC 202 – Introduction to Biological Oceanography
Explores critical topics to biological oceanography, including: the interaction of ocean life, past and present, with its chemical, physical, and geological environment; how ocean life captures energy to produce food and affect climate; and how historical sea-faring observations shaped our understanding of ocean life relative to current technological advances.
OC 440 – Biological Oceanography (All Terms)
An advanced examination of the ocean as an ecosystem with emphasis on the processes affecting the production and structure of oceanic communities. Starting with the physical and chemical characteristics of the ocean environment, lectures and labs examine the flow of energy and matter from primary producers through primary consumers up to higher trophic levels. Microbial and benthic processes are examined. Current topics, such as hypoxia, ocean acidification and harmful algal blooms are discussed. Lec/lab.
Prerequisite: OC 201 with C- or better
Recommended: Two terms of college-level biology
