11:628:320  Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems 2009


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 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

Heidi Fuchs (biology)
732-932-6555 ext 233  hfuchs@marine.rutgers.edu

Laura Palamara (TA) palamara@marine.rutgers.edu
732-932-6555 ext 307


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

Recommended reading material is taken principally from the following books (but these are not required texts to be purchased). Selected chapters are available on reserve in the Chang Library.
An introduction to marine biogeochemistry, Susan M. Libes, Wiley, 1992
Dynamics of marine ecosystems : biological-physical interactions in the oceans  3rd ed.  Mann, K. H. and J.R.N Lazier,  Blackwell Pub., 2006

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 2

W

Orientation, organization, philosophy

Sikes

 

1

Sep 4

F

Wind-driven mixing at the ocean surface

Wilkin

Mann and Lazier chapters 3.1, 3.2, 3.3.1, and 3.3.2

2

Sep 8

T

Sources of nutrients, N2 fixation, PO4, outline

Sikes

Libes 2nd edition: pp 221-227, 232-236, 237-246, 680-687

(or Libes 1st edition: Ch 9 pgs 142-145, 150-153; Ch 10 pp 154-162; Ch 29 pp 429-439

3

Sep 9

W

Seasonal succession and spring bloom

Homework 1 distributed  ( click for pdf )

Fuchs

 Mann and Lazier chapters 3.3.3 to 3.7

4

Sep 11

F

Pelagic food webs and microbial loop

Fuchs

Pomeroy et al. 2007

5

Sep 14

M

Concepts in biogeochemical cycles

Sikes

Libes 2nd edition section 1.3 pp4-8 sect 21.6 pp 553-556  OR  Libes 1st edition pp 4-6

6

Sep 16

W

Ocean/atmosphere CO2 exchange (There is a recitation today 1 pm Food Science 109)

Sikes

Libes 2nd edition: pp 724-735

7

Sep 18

F

NO CLASS

 

 

8

Sep 21

M

Nitrogen-phytoplankton-zooplankton modelsHomework 1 due

Wilkin

 

Theme 2: Coastal Upwelling

9

Sep 23

W

Coriolis force and Ekman transportHomework 2 distributed (click for pdf)

Wilkin

 

10

Sep 25

F

Coastal upwelling

Wilkin

 

11

Sep 28

M

Upwelling nutrients and tracers

Sikes

Libes 2nd edition: pp 403-418

12

Sep 30

W

Larval transport

Fuchs

 

13

Oct 2

F

Fisheries: CalCoFI case study

Fuchs

Mann and Lazier chapter 5 

14

Oct 5

M

Review for exam
Homework 2 due

Palamara

 

  Exam 1

Oct 7

W

E X A M  1

 

 

Theme 3: Equatorial Circulation and El Nino

15

Oct 9

F

Geochemical tracers

Sikes

Libes1st edition: pp 557-581

16

Oct 12

M

Carbonate Cycling and Sediments   Homework 3 distributed

Sikes

 

17

Oct 14

W

Equatorial atmosphere-ocean dynamics

Wilkin

 

18

Oct 16

F

El Nino Southern Oscillation

Wilkin

 

19

Oct 19

M

Paleoceanographic record of ENSO

Term paper info
Term paper advice

Sikes

 

20

Oct 21

W

ENSO related variability and fisheries
Term Project Topic due

Fuchs

 

21

Oct 23

F

 NO CLASS

 

 

22

Oct 26

M

Ocean acoustics: physics

Homework 3 due

Wilkin

 

23

Oct 28

W

Ocean acoustics: biology

Fuchs

 

24

Oct 30

F

Physics of mesoscale ocean eddies  (animations)

Wilkin

 

25

Nov 2

M

Biological processes in oceanic eddies

Term Project 1-page Outline due

Tips for Good Writing

Wells 2004 JCB

Fuchs

  Mann & Lazier Ch. 8.4

26

Nov 4

W

 
Review  for exam

Palamara

 

Exam 2

Nov 6

F

E X A M  2

 

 

Theme 4: Global climate system

27

Nov 9

M

Global ocean circulation (1): Wind-driven gyre-scale circulation of the surface ocean and thermocline

Wilkin

 

28

Nov 11

W

Global ocean circulation (2): Heat and freshwater water transport, conservation properties

 

Wilkin

 

29

Nov 13

F

Global ocean circulation (3): Water mass properties, polar convection, tracer distributions, global thermohaline circulation

Wilkin

 

30

Nov 16

M

Long term causes of climate change

 

Homework 4 distributed (pdf)

http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/ar4-wg1.htm

Sikes

Libes 2nd edition: pp 735-758
Chapter 13 pp 213-220 of online book “Introduction to Physical Oceanography,” by R.H. Stewart.

31

Nov 18

W

  Bio-impacts of climate change

Fuchs

 

32

Nov 20

F

Observations of Global Ocean change

Sikes Wilkin

 

33

Nov 23

M

IPCC climate change scenarios

Wilkin

 

Theme 5: Land-Ocean Interactions

34

Nov 30

M

Geochemical impacts and pollution

Sikes

 

35

Dec 2

W

Chemistry of estuaries
Homework 4 due

Sikes

 

36

Dec 4

F

Estuarine circulation

Wilkin

 

37

Dec 7

M

Estuarine larval transport

Fuchs

 

38

Dec 9

W

Review

Wilkin   Fuchs Sikes

 

Exam 3

Dec 11

 F

E X A M   3     Term Projects due Friday Dec 11 by 4 pm