Syllabus

INTRODUCTION TO OCEANOGRAPHY (EBIO319)

FALL 2007

PHILADELPHIA UNIVERSITY

Lecturer: Dr. Jeff Ashley, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Search Hall, Room 304
(215) 951-2779
ashleyj@philau.edu

Lecture Hours: Mondays and Wednesday, 1 to 2:15 pm

Office Hours:       Tuesdays from 10 to 10:50 am
                                    Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:30 pm
                                    Fridays from 12:30 to 1:30 pm

Course Info:        http://faculty.philau.edu/ashleyj

Textbook:              Essentials of Oceanography, 9^th Edition
            A. Trujillo and H.V. Thurman
            Pearson/Prentice Hall, Inc.

Purpose:

Building upon the foundations laid in general biology and chemistry, this course is for those who wish to expand their knowledge of the natural environment and the anthropogenic influences on it, with particular emphasis on the world’s oceans and coastal systems. The course will leave the undergraduate will a solid understanding of the discipline of oceanography and will provide graduate school-bound students with a foundation to pursue further advanced topics in oceanography.

Objectives:

1. To gain an understanding of the unique biological, chemical, geological, and physical characteristics of oceans.

2. To gain an understanding of the interrelationship between humans and the ocean environment.

3. Through projects, discussions, field trips, etc, you will gain an appreciation for the uniqueness of estuarine/coastal/oceanic environments

Grading: Three In-class Tests (non-cumulative; 10 points each)

Ocean-Ed Project (15 points)

Assignments and Activities (20 points)

Quizzes (20 points)

Student Presentation (15 points)

Student Presentations Highlighting “Exploitation and Pollution of Marine Resources”: As a future scientist, one of your biggest challenges may well be presenting your research in an articulate and interesting manner. Developing these skills early in your career is highly desirable. To give you the opportunity to hone these oral and visual skills, a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation of a topic pertaining to the “exploitation or destruction of marine resources” during the last full week of classes is required. There will be 3-5 minutes after each presentation for questions and discussion.

Lecture Schedule (Tentative):

Week	Dates	Chapter	Topic
1	Aug 27 Aug 29		Course Introduction and Overview We start this course with an introduction to the syllabus and an overview of the discipline. VIDEO: Oceans (BBC’s Eyewitness Video Series)
2	Sept 3 Sept 5	1	History of Oceanography and Formation of the Oceans From early explorations to the development of technology allowing deep-sea research, we start this introductory course with a historical look at the development of the discipline of oceanography. A review of the origins of Earth. An introduction to the sub-surface features originating from plate tectonics will be presented.
3	Sept 10 Sept 12	2-3	The Ocean Floor and Marine Provinces A brief history of the formation of the ocean’s floor and the ever-changing nature of it. VIDEO: Modern Marvels: Deep Sea Exploration-Challenging the Abyss (History Channel Production)
4	Sept 17 Sept 19	4	Marine Sediments We will discuss the formation and importance of marine sediments will be discussed including modern techniques used for their collection and analysis.
5	Sept 24 Sept 26*	5 6	Water and Seawater A review of the unique properties of water and the differences between fresh and saltwaters. An introduction of the numerous processes involved at the air-sea interface including ice formation, influence of oceans in determining climate patterns, the Coriolis effect, and the role of the oceans in global CO₂ cycle. *TEST 1 Sept 26
6	Oct 1 Oct 3	7	Ocean Circulation A brief introduction to the horizontal/vertical movement of water and circulation patterns in each ocean including a discussion on the causes and implications of El Niño southern oscillation events.
7	Oct 8 Oct 10	8	Waves An introduction to the characteristics of waves, the interaction of waves with shore environments, and the derivation of usable energy from waves. Video: Killer Wave: Power of the Tsunami (National Geographic Video)
8	Oct 15 Oct 17	9	Tides A discussion of the dynamic theory of tides, reading tidal charts, and the potential of tides as a source of power.
9	Oct 22 Oct 24	10	The Coast Introduction to coastal terminology and classifications, the importance of the land/sea interface, coastal development and erosion, and the current conditions of US coasts. Video: Seashore (BBC’s Eyewitness Video Series) Oct 22: Guest Lecture from NOAA scientist Dr. Holly Bamford on the “North Pacific Subtropical Gyre and Transport of Marine Debris”
10	Oct 29 Oct 31*	11	The Coastal Ocean The importance of coastal waters such as estuaries, wetlands, marginal seas, and lagoons will be discussed with emphasis on anthropogenic influences. Video: Creatures of the Shallow Seas (National Geographic Video) *TEST 2 Oct 31
11	Nov 5 Nov 7	12	Marine Environment Introduction to marine organisms, their distribution within the oceans, and the chemistry of their environment. Video: Ocean Drifters (National Geographic Video)
12	Nov 12 Nov 14	13	Biological Productivity An introduction to the organisms at the base of the marine food web, the controlling factors on their growth (primary production), and the food webs they support.
13	Nov 19 Nov 21	14	Animals of the Pelagic and Benthic Environments Introduction to the ‘charismatic megafauna’ of the pelagic and benthic environments. Discussions will also center upon the unique adaptations for seeking prey and group behaviors (schooling and migration). Field trip to Adventure Aquarium
14	Nov 26 Nov 28*	15	Animals of the Pelagic and Benthic Environments, Con’t *TEST 3 Nov 28
15	Dec 3 Dec 5		Presentations on “Exploitation and Pollution of Marine Resources Students’ presentations highlighting the exploitation of the oceans (e.g., over-fishing, off-shore dumping, recovery of oil reserves, eutrophication, and toxic compounds).

Final Letter Grades:

A 94-100%	B+ 87-89%	C+ 77-79%	D+ 67-69%
A- 90-93%	B 84-86%	C 74-76%	D 60-66%
	B- 80-83%	C- 70-73%	F <60%

Course Policies:

If you miss a test or quiz due to an excused absence, your remaining grades will be averaged for your final grade (NO MAKE-UP TESTS ARE GIVEN). If your absence is not excused, you will receive a grade of zero for that test or quiz.

Assignments that are turned in late will not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made with the instructor. No extra credit assignments will be made. Therefore, to do well in this course, you must keep up with the lecture material, reading, and any assignments.

Attendance is mandatory in lecture. Missing classes will affect your grade in two ways:

1) Missed classes EQUATE to missed material. Time and time again, I’ve seen that this relates to a poorer understanding of key concepts (and ultimately will decrease your chance of success on quizzes and tests), and

2) Penalties for missed classes will begin on your fourth unexcused (non-medical) absence. For every unexcused absence (beyond the three ‘grace’ classes), your grade will decrease by 2 points (that’s 2% each missed class). For example, miss five classes, and you’ve already decreased your grade by one letter!

Student Code of Conduct:

The Faculty of Philadelphia University takes academic integrity seriously. Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated, and students violating the University’s academic integrity policy will be subject to appropriate sanctions. Plagiarism on any written assignments will not be tolerated. You may turn in only your own work for writing and homework assignments (unless I inform you otherwise), and any references that you use must be fully documented (using MLA format). As well, cheating on tests, final exams or quizzes will not be tolerated. Once again, please familiarize yourself with the Student Code of Conduct as it appears in the Student Handbook for Philadelphia University.

Academic Support Services:

Gutman Library (www.philau.edu/library)

The home page of the Gutman Library provides students with a variety of information resources, including databases and research guides. Librarians are available online and in person at the information desk to help students with research.

The Learning and Advising Center ( www.philau.edu/learning)

The Learning and Advising Center provides one-on-one tutoring assistance for writing, study strategies, test taking, and specific Philadelphia University courses*. To make a tutoring appointment, students should stop by the Learning and Advising Center in Haggar Hall or call (215) 951-2799. Academic resources, including information on citation and documentation, note taking, and study strategies are available on the Center’s website.

Technology assistance (http://www.philau.edu/OIT/)

For assistance with technology issues, students should contact the Technology Help Desk at (215) 951-4648 or send an email to helpdesk@philau.edu. General purpose computing facilities are available in Search Hall and Gutman Library.