Course Information

The world’s oceans are spectacular in their beauty, majestic in their power and domineering in terms of their effects on climate. Oceans are a source of bountiful food and are home to tremendous numbers and varieties of species. It is very important to possess a good understanding of how the ocean’s work. Our future as a species depends upon the oceans that surround each and every continent. This course examines the oceans from an historical, geographical, geological and biological perspective. The course makes use of an excellent textbook that guides us through the ‘story of the oceans’. Each week, the student will explore a different topic. In order, these topics are: history of oceanography, ocean waters, the productivity of the oceans, seafloor sediments, Plankton and Nekton, ocean currents, waves, tides and the Benthos.