Geology 107 - Marine Environments

Life originated in the oceans and exists today in a wide variety of marine environments and ecosystems that are fundamentally different from the more familiar terrestrial ones. Furthermore, life in the oceans was responsible for creating the conditions that allowed terrestrial life to develop and flourish. The main focus of this course is an examination of the ecology, function and adaptations of organisms that support diverse marine environments from nearshore to offshore and from shallow to deep water. We will examine life in the open sea, on the seabed, in rocky intertidal communities, kelp forests, deep ocean hydrothermal vents, coral reefs and mangrove ecosystems. From the single celled phytoplankton to the largest animals on Earth, we will study the structure of these oceanographic food webs. This course also explores how human activities are altering the marine environment, including the large-scale impacts of the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon oil spills.

Fall semester. Limited to 48 students. Visiting Professor Medina-Elizalde.