MARN 5010/4010-Biological Oceanography
Date
Lecture
Instructor
Spring 2014
Topic
21-Jan
1
HD
Course information; Introduction to biological oceanography
23-Jan
2
HD
Basic biological concepts and physical biological coupling
28-Jan
3
SL
Primary producers: Early phototrophs, N2 fixers, and eukaryotic algae
30-Jan
4
SL
Photosynthesis, growth rate, primary productivity
4-Feb
5
SL
Effects of environmental factors I: light and temp (global warming)
6-Feb
6
SL
Effects of environmental factors II: nutrients and pH (ocean
acidification)
11-Feb
7
SL
Effects of environmental factors: nutrient limitation and eutrophication
13-Feb
8
SL
Temporal and spatial dynamics
18-Feb
9
SL
Harmful algal blooms
20-Feb
Exam
SL
Exam I
25-Feb
10
HD
Metazoan bioenergetics
27-Feb
11
HD
Metazoan bioenergetics
4-Mar
12
HD
Metazoan population biology
6-Mar
13
HD
Metazoan population biology
11-Mar
14
HD
Secondary Production
13-Mar
15
HD
Pelagic recycling and export
18-Mar
No class
Spring break
20-Mar
No class
Spring break
25-Mar
Exam
HD
27-Mar
16
JG
1-Apr
17
JG
3-Apr
18
JG
Elemental cycles
8-Apr
19
JG
Elemental cycles
10-Apr
20
JG
Elemental cycles
15-Apr
21
JL
Introduction to the benthos
17-Apr
22
JL
Animal-sediment relationship
22-Apr
23
JL
Ecology of deposit-feeders
24-Apr
24
JL
Benthic space-time concepts – I
29-Apr
25
JL
Benthic space-time concepts – II
1-May
26
JL
Deepsea benthos
May 3?
Exam
JL
Exam 4
Exam II
HD = Hans Dam, SL = Senjie Lin; JG=Julie Granger; JL=Josh Lord (for Robert Whitlatch)
MARN 5010/4010 Biological Oceanography
Spring 2014
CLASS HOURS AND LOCATION
Tuesday and Thursday, 11:00-12:15
Alternate between MAR123 (Avery Point) and CUE321 (Storrs)
HOW TO CONTACT INSTRUCTORS
Instructors
Avery Point
Phone number
Hans Dam
Julie Granger
Senjie Lin
Robert Whitlatch
405-9098
405-9094
405-9168
405-9154
E-mail
Office Hours
Beach Hall, room 317
Phone Number: 486-1395 or
Offices at Avery Point, by
appointment
hans.dam@uconn.edu
Tue and Thu 10:00-11:00 am
julie.granger@uconn.edu
Tue and Thu 10:00-11:00 am
senjie.lin@uconn.edu
Tue and Thu 10:00-11:00 am
robert.whitlatch@uconn.edu Tue and Thu 10:00-11:00 am
COURSE INFORMATION
Biological Oceanography is a core course for graduate students in all subdisciplines of Oceanography.
In addition, this course is intended for undergraduate students majoring in Environmental Science with
the Marine Science concentration, for undergraduate students pursuing a minor in Marine Science, and
for other graduate and undergraduate students with interests in biological processes of the ocean. There
are prerequisites for the course (see course catalogue). Furthermore, those taking this course are
assumed to have acquired moderate mathematical skills (basic calculus).
COURSE FORMAT
The course covers pelagic and benthic autotrophic and heterotrophic processes; benthic microbial
processes and sediment biogeochemistry; pelagic and benthic population and community structure.
Besides the information in lectures, there are homework assignments and supplemental readings from
the textbooks and the primary literature. All readings should be done prior to class. The lecturers
employ the Socratic method. Hence, students are expected to be fully prepared to answer questions in
class and to have a scientific dialogue.
GRADING
Distribution of points among the instructors is determined by the number of lectures given by each.
HD=33 pts; SL=31 pts; JG=12 pts; RW=24 pts.
TEXTBOOKS
Course textbook: none
Reference textbook (available at Avery Point and in Homer library on three-hour reserve)
Charles B. Miller. 2004. Biological Oceanography. Blackwell Science Ltd, Oxford, 402 pp.
Valiela, I. 1995. Marine Ecological Processes, 2nd ed. Springer, New York. 686 pp.