Coastal Processes II - (COA 602)
Fall 2015 Schedule
Meets in Field Studies 101, Monday 2:00 – 4:45pm
Part I: Primary Producers of Marine and Coastal Environments
Week Date (Tues)
Topic(s)
1
24 Aug
Oceanic/Estuarine Phytoplankton
2
31 Aug
Seaweeds and Coastal Habitats
LABOR DAY HOLIDAY (MON 7th) – no class
3
14 Sep
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation
4
21 Sep
Saltmarshes and Mangroves
5
28 Sep
Takehome EXAM I (30%) due
PART II: Benthic Biotic Processes in Marine and Coastal Environments
Week
Date
Topic(s)
5
28 Sep
Benthic Trophic Dynamics
6
5 Oct
Benthic Microbial Processes
7
12 Oct
Ecosystem Role of the Benthos
8
19 Oct
Benthic Subsystems
FALL BREAK HOLIDAY (Thurs 22 & Fri 23)
9
26 Oct
Maintenance of Benthic Diversity
10
2 Nov
Biotic Gradients; Fisheries Production;
Adaptations of Land Margin Biota
Instructor(s)
Biber
Biber
Instructor(s)
Rakocinski
Peterson
PART III: Land-Margin Processes in Marine and Coastal Environments
Week
Date
Topic(s)
Instructor(s)
11
9 Nov
EXAM II (35%)
Rakocinski
12
16 Nov
Land Margin Trophic Dynamics;
Biotic Interactions at the Land Margin
13
23 Nov
Marsh-Surface Coupling;
Onshore-Offshore Coupling
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY (Wed 25 - Fri 27)
14
30 Nov
Landscape View of Coastal Function;
Living Resource ‘Nursery’ Function Complexity
15
7 Dec
EXAM III (35%)
Peterson
Grading scale: A  95; A- = 90-94; B+ = 87-89; B = 83-86; B- = 80-82; C+ = 77-79; C = 73-76; C- = 7072; D+ = 66-69; D = 60-65; F < 60.
ADA COMPLIANCE: If a student has a disability that qualifies under the Americans with Disabilities
Act and requires accommodations, he/she should contact the Office of Support Services for Students with
Disabilities (OSS) for information on appropriate policies and procedures at The University of Southern
Mississippi, Box 8586, Hattiesburg, MS 39406; Telephone: 601-266-5024; TTY: 601-266-6837; Fax:
601-266-6035.
PART I: Primary Producers of Marine and Coastal Environments (4 Lectures):
Download files and readings from http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w546990/CP2/index.htm
L1: Oceanic/ Estuarine Phytoplankton
 Euphotic zone, diel vertical migration
 P’plankton sizes and sampling issues
 Flagellates, Coccolithophores, Dinoflagellates, Diatoms
 Remote sensing of chl for phytoplankton assessment
 Global Oceanic primary productivity – patterns and trends
 Gradients of salinity, turbidity, chl, nutrients
 Grazing of phytoplankton and foodwebs – why are estuaries so productive?
(boom and bust cycles)
 Harmful Algal Blooms
L2: Seaweeds and Coastal Habitats
 Macroalgae – greens, browns, reds
 Taxonomic relations and examples of species
 Eutrophication - effects on seaweeds
 Resiliency and Alternate Stable States
 Seaweeds of coral reef and seagrass habitats
 Kelp forests & rocky intertidal
 Seaweeds harvested for food and industry
L3: Submerged Aquatic Vegetation
 What are SAV, seagrasses?
 Global distribution, local species
 Mapping and monitoring issues
 Water quality and light attenuation
 Epiphytes
 Bottom-up vs Top-down control
L4: Saltmarshes and Mangroves
 Aquatic vs Terrestrial plant environments
 Characteristics of intertidal wetlands
 Redox chemistry of saturated soils – peat formation, coal, oil
 Adaptations by plants to salt stress
 Osmotic relations and turgor pressure
 Zonation in saltmarsh and mangroves
 Carbon cycling, foodwebs, and outwelling
 Restoration of intertidal wetlands
PART II: Benthic Biotic Processes in Marine and Coastal Environments (5 Lectures):
L1: Benthic Microbial Processes
 Diagenesis of Sedimentary Organic Matter
 Microbial Loop
 Nutrient Cycling
 Sediment Biogeochemistry
L2: Benthic Trophic Dynamics
 Trophic Diversity
 Benthic Food Webs and Energy Flow
 Top Down vs. Bottom Up Controls
 Trophic Cascades in the Benthic Subsystem
L3: Ecosystem Role of the Benthos
 Benthic-Pelagic Coupling
 Body-Size Dependent Processes
 Community Metabolism
 Secondary Production
L4: Benthic Subsystems
 Soft Sediments
 Sandy Beaches
 Hard Substrates
 Continental Shelf
 Coral Reefs
L5: Maintenance of Benthic Diversity
 Benthic Spatial Patterns
 Disturbance vs. Community Stability
 Abiotic vs. Biotic Interactions
 Mechanisms of Succession
 Benthic Communities as Bioindicators
PART III: Land-Margin Processes in Marine and Coastal Environments
L1: Biotic Gradients; Fisheries Production; Adaptations of Land Margin Biota
 Biotic Processes along Coastal Gradients
 Dual Gradient Concept
 Primary Production gradient
 Life Cycle Gradient (Estuarine-dependency issue)
 Fisheries Production
 Classic Estuarine Function Roles
 Animal Adaptations to Land Margin Environment
L2: Land Margin Trophic Dynamics; Biotic Interactions at the Land Margin
 Resource Partitioning
 Predator Switching
 Ontogenetic Shifts
 Salinity Stability & Discharge/Flow Issues
 Species Interactions
 Stable Isotope Studies of Energy Pathways
L3: Marsh-Surface Coupling; Onshore-Offshore Coupling
 Tides and Movements of Marsh Production
 Trophic Relay Hypothesis
 The Outwelling Hypothesis
 The Geomorphological Hypothesis and Production
 Organismal Transport
L4: Landscape View of Coastal Function; Living Resource ‘Nursery’ Function Complexity
 Estuarine Typology and Estuary Community Structure
 Coupling Terrestrial, Estuarine and Marine Environments
 What is Juvenile, Essential and Nursery Habitat? Scale-Dependent Environments and
Production?