11:628:320 Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems

11:628:320 Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems 2008

An overview of the fundamental processes in the marine environment with emphasis on interdisciplinary linkages in the functioning of marine ecosystems. Understanding the dynamics in the physics, chemistry, and biology of the oceans will be emphasized.

Prerequisites:
01:640:135 OR 01:640:151 AND
01:119:102 OR 01:119:103 OR 01:160:162 OR 01:750:194 OR 01:750:204
or permission of the instructors.

This course replaces 01/11:628:200 and is required for the Marine Sciences Major and Minor (see also Undergraduate Marine Sciences Cook Major 628)

Instructors:

John Wilkin (physics)
732-932-6555 ext 251 jwilkin@rutgers.edu

Liz Sikes (geochemistry)
732-932-6555 ext 518 sikes@marine.rutgers.edu

Oscar Schofield (biology)
732-932-6555 ext 548 oscar@marine.rutgers.edu

Gillian Robbins (TA)
732-932-6555

Class meets Monday-Wednesday-Friday from 2:15 pm to 3:35 in Cook-Douglass Lecture Building Room 109

Recitation Schedule: TBD.

Lecture	Date	Day	Topic (links are to lecture notes in ppt or pdf format)	Lecturer	Reading
Theme 1. Vertical structure of the open ocean: Biology of the mixed layer
-	Sep 3	W	Orientation, organization, philosophy	Sikes
1	Sep 5	F	Wind-driven mixing at the ocean surface	Wilkin	Mann and Lazier chapters 3-1, 3-3
2	Sep 8	M	Sources of nutrients, N₂ fixation, PO₄, outline	Sikes	Libes Ch 9 pgs 142-145, 150-153; Ch 10 pgs 154-162; Ch 29 pgs 429-439
3	Sep 10	W	Light, photosynthesis, growth Homework 1 distributed	Schofield
4	Sep 12	F	Pelagic food webs, microbial loop	Schofield
5	Sep 15	M	Microbial loop	Schofield	Mann and Lazier 4-2
6	Sep 17	W	Nitrogen- phytoplankton- zooplankton models	Wilkin	Mann and Lazier 5.1-5.3, 3.2.6
Theme 2: Coastal Upwelling
7	Sep 19	F	Upper ocean currents, Coriolis force, Ekman transports	Wilkin	Mann and Lazier 5.3-5.6
8	Sep 22	M	Coastal and equatorial upwelling Homework 1 due	Wilkin	Mann and Lazier pp. 176-189
9	Sep 24	W	Upwelling nutrients and geochemical tracers	Sikes	Libes Ch 16 pgs 262-273 Ch 24 pgs 557-581
10	Sep 26	F	Productivity of coastal vs. open ocean regions	Schofield
11	Sep 29	M	Comparison of eastern boundary current systems - California, Peru, NW Africa, Benguela Homework 2 distributed	Wilkin	Mann and Lazier pp 189-285
Theme 3: Equatorial Circulation and El Nino
12	Oct 1	W	Equatorial Atmosphere and Ocean Dynamics	Wilkin
13	Oct 3	F	El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)	Wilkin
14	Oct 6	M	Review for exam
EXAM 1	Oct 8	W
15	Oct 10	F	Paleoceanographic record of climate variability	Sikes	Chavez paper
16	Oct 13	M	ENSO-related variability in primary production and fisheries Homework 2 due	Schofield	Libes Chapter 29 pp557-581 Mann and Lazier ch. 10.4-10.6 pp 410-422
Theme 4: Global climate system
17	Oct 15	W	Concepts in global biogeochemical cycles: reservoirs and fluxes	Sikes	Mann and Lazier ch. 10.1-10.3.5 pp 390-410
18	Oct 17	F	Atmosphere-ocean CO₂ and acidification	Schofield	Libes Ch 5 pgs 77-86
19	Oct 20	M	Bioresponse to ocean acidification Consequences of global warming: polar climate change	Schofield
20	Oct 22	W	Carbon sequestration Term Project Topic due	Schofield
21	Oct 24	F	Global ocean circulation (1) Homework 3 distributed	Wilkin	Mann and Lazier 9.1-9.2
22	Oct 27	M	Global ocean circulation (2)	Wilkin