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Methods and Concepts in Oceanography

Instructors: Dr. Rut Pedrosa Pamies and Dr. Kristin Gribble

Course Description, Learning Objectives, and Outcomes

By the end of this immersive 3-week course, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the major processes shaping the world’s oceans and the methodological approaches used to study them.

Students will be able to:

  • Interpret physical, chemical, biological, and geological datasets to understand ocean structure, circulation, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem dynamics.
  • Explain the major components of ocean systems, including stratification, circulation, carbon cycling, primary and secondary production, food webs, microbial processes, and ocean–climate interactions.
  • Process and analyze real shipboard and laboratory samples, integrating observations into a coherent scientific narrative.
  • Use core field, laboratory, and analytical techniques in oceanography, including CTD profiling, water sampling, plankton collection, microscopy, PCR, and sequencing.
  • Interpret environmental drivers and anthropogenic impacts such as climate change, ocean acidification, plastic pollution, and shifting species ranges.
  • Present an independent research case study linked to a topic discussed in the class and/or labs.

Course Structure

The course is organized into focused topics that pair conceptual lectures, discussion of primary literature, and practical application through hands-on labs and fieldwork.

Topics include:

Foundations of Oceanography

  • Ocean basin formation, plate tectonics, and geological processes
  • Bathymetric mapping and interpretation of seafloor features

Physical Oceanography

  • Temperature, salinity, density, and water column structure
  • Global circulation, gyres, upwelling, fronts, and eddies
  • Tank experiment demonstrating stratification, thermohaline circulation

Chemical Oceanography and Biogeochemistry

  • The ocean carbon cycle and carbon pumps (biological, carbonate, solubility)
  • Proxies to evaluate carbon cycling (e.g., stable isotopes, lipid biomarkers).
  • Evaluation of global data sets using Ocean Data View

Biological Oceanography

  • Primary and secondary production, phytoplankton and zooplankton ecology
  • Harmful algal blooms, trophic dynamics, microbial loop
  • Microscopy, plankton tow analysis, and data interpretation
  • Marine ecosystems

Oceanographic Fieldwork

  • Research vessel cruise for hands-on use of CTDs, Niskin bottles, plankton nets, sediment samplers, and more.
  • CTD data interpretation and onboard sample processing
  • Field-collected samples will serve as the basis for student study case research final presentation.

Molecular and Bioinformatic Tools

  • DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and sequencing
  • BLAST searches, phylogenetic tree construction, and introductory metagenomics

Human Impacts and Global Change

  • Ocean warming, acidification, sea-level rise, extreme events, and pollution
  • Deep-sea particle and microplastic analysis, including Scanning Electron Microscopy imaging

Grading

There is no final exam. Evaluations are based on participation in class activities, lab reports, and final presentation of a study case.

  • Problem sets / lab reports: 60%
  • Class participation and in class quizzes: 20%
  • Final case study presentation: 20%