Courses

OCE 6934 (3 hrs) Physical-Biological Interactions in Marine Systems
Knowledge of physical-biological processes in the ocean is needed to achieve a fundamental understanding of marine ecosystems function, as well as improving our ability to predict how ecosystems will respond to anthropogenic perturbations and climate variability and management and conservation of marine resources. The objective of this course is to examine a broad range of topics related to understanding how physical processes influence marine ecosystem dynamics. We will explore processes on different time and space scales and investigate how coupled physical and biological processes vary among different regions, such as estuarine, coastal, open ocean, polar, and deep ocean systems.

OCE 6934 (2 hrs) Foundations in Biological and Fisheries Oceanography
The fields of Biological Oceanography and Fisheries Oceanography share a common background and early history. Significant research contributions and a diversity of approaches have shaped these fields. Many of the foundation concepts also derive from the field of ecology. This course will survey the historical development of critical concepts in these fields and examine recent papers that challenge established concepts or identify promising directions for future research.

OCE 6934 (2 hrs). Ecology of Permanently Low Oxygen Regions in the Ocean. Persistent oxygen minimum zone (OMZs) are sensitive to climate variability and ocean acidification and appear to be expanding due to a warming ocean. Dissolved oxygen concentrations in the core of OMZs can be <5 uM, which strongly impacts marine carbon and nitrogen cycles. Strong vertical oxygen gradients also exert a considerable influence on organism distributions. The objective for this course is to review and discuss recent publications on food web trophic interactions and biogeochemical elemental cycling in permanently low oxygen regions of the oceans.

OCE 6934 (1 hr ) Topics in Zooplankton Ecology Seminar

OCE 6934 (3 hrs) Zooplankton Ecology
Zooplankton are a diverse group of organisms that are among the most abundant animals on Earth. They are important in marine food webs by controlling phytoplankton production and as food for higher trophic level predators, such as fish, seabirds, and whales. They are also important in biogeochemical cycles. This course will cover a range of topics, including zooplankton taxonomy, sampling methods, patterns of distribution, physiology, behavior, predator-prey interactions, and the role of zooplankton in biogeochemical cycles.

OCE 6934 (3 hrs) Ecological Stoichiometry
Organic life acts to concentrate a few non-metals that are relatively rare in the earth's crust. Alfred Redfield first noted the similarities in chemical composition of ocean plankton, in terms of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and concentrations of these elements and regeneration ratios in deep water. This led Redfield to surmise that biological processes, including the different strategies that plants and animals employ in acquiring energy and essential nutrients, control chemical factors in the environment. The objective of this course is to examine the concepts of the developing field of ecological stoichiometry, which is the study of the balance of chemical elements in ecological interactions. We will explore the fundamental chemical constraints on biological processes from cells to ecosystems and investigate how coupled chemical and biological processes vary among different regions, such as freshwater, coastal, and the open ocean, and between the near-surface and deep ocean.