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11:628:100 (F) OCEANOGRAPHY HOUSE (1.5 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: None
Learning Goals: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
This first-year seminar introduces students to the application of technologies used in ocean observing systems. Students work in small groups mentored by undergraduates with prior observing system experience and participate in ongoing research and development.
11:628:120 (F&S) INTRODUCTION TO OCEANOGRAPHY (3 cr)* syllabus
Prerequisites: None
Learning Goals: 1, 5
* Meets Core Curriculum requirements for Contemporary Challenges – Our Common Future [OCO] and Natural Sciences [NS].
This course will enhance ‘ocean literacy’ among students with diverse backgrounds by introducing and acquainting you with essential aspects of oceanography. Because of oceanography’s interdisciplinary nature, we will examine geological, physical, chemical, and biological processes as they apply to the ocean. With this foundation, you will comprehend a variety of oceanographic terms and concepts, including: how ocean systems work, how they are studied, how the ocean influences Earth’s biosphere and atmosphere, how the oceans support living ecosystems, and which issues concern the fate of oceans and their coastlines.
11:628:130 (F) Sea Monsters and Weird Biology in the World’s Oceans (3 cr)
Prerequisites: None
Learning Goals: 1, 5
Do giant squid eat people or whales? Mermaids, a sailor’s dream or nightmare? If someone released the Kraken, should we be scared. What is Cthulhu? Are these sea monsters reflections of other real organisms? What is often “weird” to us can take mythic proportions. Are these monsters/stories a reflection of the unique biology that has evolved in the extreme conditions found in the world’s oceans? Or maybe they exist as species we have yet to discover in a largely unexplored ocean? In Fall 2022, dive into adventure and let’s go explore the weird biology of the ocean, recount the great myths and share some great sea stories. The course is for early marine science students and all non-marine science majors. The course will focus on history, science, and the process of exploration of the most unexplored part of our planet. So, come join us in Marine Science Building for a wild ride as we explore the deep sea!
11:628:2** (F&S) TOPICS: MARINE SCIENCES (1.5 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: None
Learning Goals: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
This course is taught by faculty in the Center for Ocean Observation Leadership. Specific topics depend on ongoing research on expanding and applying ocean observation technologies, and in the past have included flying an autonomous underwater vehicle (RU27) across the Atlantic for the first time. The class meets weekly for an 80-minute period and, in addition, students participate in weekly 60-minute out-of-class group meetings. Each group presents their work to the class at the end of the semester. These classes may be counted toward the Marine Sciences major or minor elective requirements, or to fulfill the hands-on research experience required for the major.
11:628:204 (S) THE WATER PLANET (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: None
Learning Goals: 1, 5
* Meets Core Curriculum requirements for Contemporary Challenges – Our Common Future [OCO] and Natural Sciences [NS].
Survey of the science, environmental impact, and resource allocation of water on the Earth. Characteristics of water: hydrologic cycle; runoff and erosion; river systems; past and present climates; water quality; political and economic aspects of water.
11:628:221 (F) HUMAN INTERACTIONS WITH COASTAL OCEAN (3 cr)* syllabus
Prerequisites: None
Learning Goals: 1, 3, 5
* Meets Core Curriculum requirements for Contemporary Challenges – Our Common Future [OCO] and Natural Sciences [NS].
This course is designed to identify the ways that scientific knowledge can be used to resolve environmental problems. The contemporary problem of loss of marine resources and difficulties of restoring and conserving them is placed in a human and environmental context to obtain a broad perspective on the application of science to societal goals. Topics will be multidisciplinary to document the complexity of environmental problems and their potential solutions. Topics will be related to effects of global climate change, pollution, loss of natural environments, management of threatened and endangered species, extraction of living and non-living resources, and mitigation of natural hazards.
11:628:309 (F) FISHERY SCIENCE (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: Permission of the instructor. Requires some familiarity with algebra and a willingness to engage in basic mathematical modeling. General biology highly recommended and a course in ecology preferred.
Learning Goals: 1, 2, 3, 5
This course provides an introduction to the interdisciplinary study of wild capture fisheries. We will cover marine and freshwater fisheries and commercial and recreational fisheries; aquaculture will not be covered in detail. As complex social-ecological systems, fisheries can only be understood through the combined use of theories and techniques from biology, ecology, oceanography, mathematics, statistics, economics and other social sciences. We will examine the behavior of fish populations, fishers, and management institutions as well as the emergent properties of the entire system.
11:628:317 (S odd years) AQUACULTURE (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: A solid background in the basic science. Special permission number required to register.
Learning Goals: 1, 3, 5
This course stresses the role of science in aquaculture. Lectures cover aquaculture production methods, fish and shellfish growth and reproduction, nutrition, genetics, disease control, economics, environmental consequences of aquaculture and public policy issues. Laboratory exercises involve experimental and observational studies of molluscan and fish larvae and adults, and techniques used for water chemistry and disease-diagnostics. Field trips to aquaculture sites and facilities, student-led discussions of research papers, and video or slide presentations of individual cultured species complete the course. Lectures, discussion sessions, and laboratory exercises occupy the entire day, every day. Class meets daily from 8 am to 5 pm for the entire period at the Haskin Shellfish Research Laboratory in Bivalve, New Jersey – about 120 miles south of New Brunswick on Delaware Bay. A fee of $200 will be charged to cover dormitory cost.
11:628:320 (F) DYNAMICS OF MARINE ECOSYSTEMS (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: One term of calculus AND (two terms of general biology OR two terms of general chemistry OR two terms of general physics)
Learning Goals: 1, 3, 5
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.
11:628:321 (F odd years) ICHTHYOLOGY (4 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: 01:119:115-116
Learning Goals: 1, 3
This course will include field trips, lectures and labs. The lectures will be based primarily, but not exclusively, on the text and the field experiences. Laboratory exercises will center on the identification and anatomy of New Jersey marine and estuarine fishes. The field trips will take place in the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve at Mullica River – Great Bay and we will work from the Rutgers University Marine Field Station. These trips will focus on collecting techniques in a variety of shallow water habitats, identification of fishes based on field characters, and impromptu lectures.
11:628:341 (S) Hydrothermal Vents, (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: None
Learning Goals: 1, 2, 3
This course provides detailed coverage of deep-sea hydrothermal vent communities and environments. The instructors explore these unique systems via classroom lectures, videos of recent cruises to active hydrothermal vent sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and East Pacific Rise, seminars on recently published literature, and examination of an IMAX film on the subject. Guest lectures by acknowledged experts in the field are also given. Focus is on the composition and dynamics of hydrothermal vent communities, as well as geology of seafloor spreading centers.
11:628:345 (S) Scientific Diving I (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: Medical Statement with Medical Clearance for scuba diving as needed. Students must demonstrate satisfactory swimming ability, physical stamina, and emotional stability to instructor during the course.
Learning Goals: 4
This is an introductory course designed to provide the student with the academics, practical skill applications, and SCUBA diving training to become competent and confident divers. Training will be conducted under the minimum standards of both the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) and applicable recreational training agencies towards achieving AAUS Scientific Diving certification. The course will provide the student with training in open water, advanced open water, and rescue diver skills. Knowledge development and skills will include dive safety, SAFE diving skills, diving physics, diving physiology, equipment care and maintenance, diving fitness, dive planning, oxygen administration, CPR/First Aid, and introduction to scientific methods and science diving. These core elements will cover the academic and practical skills application in a confined water (pool) environment. Training materials developed by the AAUS, PADI, and DAN will be used for the academic components of the program.
11:628:346 (F) Scientific Diving II (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: 11:628:345. Students who have not taken 11:628:345 may be granted admission if they have a minimum SCUBA diving certification level of “Rescue Diver” or its equivalent from a nationally/internationally recognized dive certification agency and arrange to complete AAUS topics from 11:628:345. Additionally, medical clearance for scuba diving is a prerequisite requirement prior to in-water training.
Learning Goals: 4
This is the second course of the American Academy of Underwater Science (AAUS) Scientific Diver Certification designed to provide the student with the academic, practical, and SCUBA skills training to meet and exceed AAUS minimum standards for Scientific Diving certification. The course will provide the student with training in dive safety, diving emergency procedures, oxygen administration, neurological assessment, first aid for hazardous marine injuries, mixed gas (Nitrox) and technical diving methodology, dive planning, and the application of science diving techniques. These core elements will cover the advanced academic and practical skills application in both confined water (pool) and open water environments. Training materials developed by the AAUS, PADI, and DAN will be used for the academic component of the program.
11:628:363 (F) OCEANOGRAPHIC METHODS AND DATA ANALYSIS: BIOLOGY/CHEMISTRY (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: 11:628:320; Rutgers REHS Laboratory Safety Training
Learning Goals: 1, 2
Course focuses on basic techniques to collect, analyze, and report oceanographic and marine science data with emphasis on biological and chemical variables. This will include interactive lectures, team-based hands-on field sampling, laboratory sample analysis, writing and presenting results, and writing a scientific paper. Teamwork is required for this course. This course will require some travel as well as work outdoors, aboard research vessels, and in the laboratory with chemicals.
11:628:364 (S) OCEANOGRAPHIC METHODS AND DATA ANALYSIS: PHYSICAL PROCESSES (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: 11:628:320
Learning Goals: 1, 2
This course focuses on basic techniques to collect, analyze, and report oceanographic and marine science data. This will include interactive lectures, team-based hands-on field sampling, writing reports, presenting results, and writing a scientific paper. Teamwork is required for this course. This course will require some travel, work outdoors, and work aboard research vessels.
11:628:402 (S) THE ROLE OF POLAR REGIONS IN THE EARTH SYSTEM (3 cr)
The polar regions are a central to the Earth system, playing an outsized role in regulating the planet’s climate, chemistry, and ecosystems. The polar regions are changing rapidly in response to global warming, with far-reaching impacts on sea level rise, carbon cycling, and other global dynamics. Processes in the Arctic and Antarctic are central to understanding past and future climate variations, biodiversity and marine resources. In this course, we will build on fundamental physical and biological principles to understand the links between the cryosphere, ocean, atmosphere and biosphere in the polar regions. We will explore the drivers of polar change, and the ramifications of these changes for the Earth system and climate.
Course topics include: polar oceanography, ocean-cryosphere-atmosphere interactions, physics of glaciers and sea ice, primary and secondary production in polar systems, polar marine food webs, marine ecology, and climate change. The course will also highlight approaches and technologies used to make measurements in the polar oceans and cryosphere.
11:628:405 (F even years) MOLECULAR MICROBIAL OCEANOGRAPHY (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: 01:119:116 AND (11:628:320 or 11:216:351)
Learning Goals: 1, 2, 4, 5
The oceans represent the oldest, evolving continuum on Earth with its evolutionary heritage being imprinted in the genes of resident microbes. Microorganisms (i.e., phytoplankton, bacteria, viruses) account for >90% of all oceanic biomass and drive oceanic biogeochemical cycles. Still, we are faced with fundamental open questions about the activity, molecular diversity, and evolutionary development of their biochemical and molecular strategies. This is largely due to the fact that microbes are hard to differentiate and study using traditional, ecological observational techniques. This course will highlight emerging efforts to elucidate the activity, diversity, and evolution of microbial genes and link them to key oceanic ecosystem and biogeochemical processes, by merging biochemistry, molecular biology, and genome-based approaches with innovative instrumentation. These efforts have begun to shed novel insight into staggering microbial biodiversity and a range of cellular strategies, including niche adaptation, stress response, cell communication, signaling, and defense, which strongly shape their ecological impact in the oceans.
11:628:410 (S) BIOPHYSICAL INTERACTIONS: FROM BARNACLES TO JELLYFISH (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: Two terms of calculus and 11:628:320
Learning Goals: 1, 3
This course emphasizes understanding how organisms interact with and are affected by their physical fluid environment. The aim is to introduce fundamental principles of major topics, including life at low Reynolds numbers, benthic boundary layers, biomechanics, and diffusion and dispersal. We will discuss physical processes and their impacts on the ecology of algae, zooplankton, fish, jellyfish, and benthic invertebrates. Many principles we cover will also be relevant for microbes, terrestrial plants and animals, and chemical tracers. Specific topics may vary depending on students’ interests.
11:628:451 (F) PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY (4 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: Two terms of calculus
Learning Goals: 1, 2, 3, 5
This course is designed to introduce students to the important physical processes in the oceans in such a way that they will understand both the conceptual physical principles and at the larger scale how these fit into the earth as a system. The initial focus is to develop the basic equations which describe the principles upon which physical oceanography is based. These principles are then used to help understand waves, tides, currents, and the large-scale ocean circulation. Homework problems are assigned to reinforce the concepts learned in class. Throughout the course, examples will be given to show how physical oceanography affects and is affected by the biological, chemical, and geological processes in the ocean.
11:628:452 (S odd years) GEOPHYSICAL DATA ANALYSIS (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: 01:640:244 OR 01:640:252
Learning Goals: 1, 2, 3
Analysis of equally and unequally spaced data; filters; FFT; spectra; linear systems theory; empirical orthogonal functions; harmonic analysis; grid interpolation techniques; emphasis on applied data analysis. Analysis of equally and unequally spaced data; filters; FFT; spectra; linear systems theory; empirical orthogonal functions; harmonic analysis; grid interpolation techniques; emphasis on applied data analysis.
11:628:461 (F) THE BIOLOGY OF LIVING IN THE OCEAN: WATER COLUMN ECOSYSTEMS & PROCESSES (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: 11:628:320, 1 term Calculus, 2 terms General Biology; Recommended: General Chemistry and Physics
Learning Goals: 1, 2, 3, 5
The ocean is the majority of Earth and the largest biome on the planet. Processes that occur in the water column are highly dynamic and central to regulating the planet’s biogeochemistry which influences how much oxygen we breath, how many fish exist, and how much oil is available to human’s to extract. This course will cover the processes that regulate the biology of the plankton and fish, which drives the community ecology for ocean ecosystems. This course covers ecological themes such as the acquisition and transformation of energy and materials, population regulation, competition/predation dynamics, population connectivity and marine food webs. The course will also highlight approaches and technologies used to make measurements in the ocean.
11:628:462 (S) THE BIOLOGY OF LIVING IN THE OCEAN: BOUNDARY ECOSYSTEMS AND PROCESSES (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: One term of calculus, 01:119:115-116, 11:628:320
Recommended: General Chemistry and Physics
Learning Goals: 1, 2, 3, 5
This course covers the processes that regulate the biology, productivity, and population and community dynamics at the boundaries of the ocean, including intertidal zones, estuaries, salt marshes, coral reefs, hydrothermal vents, and the sea floor. The boundaries harbor charismatic ecosystems and the distinctive spatial structures provided by the boundaries shape the way in which these ecosystems function. The course will cover critical ecological themes such as the acquisition and transformation of energy and materials, population regulation, competition/predation dynamics, population connectivity, food webs, succession, and spatial structure.
11:628:472 (S) CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: 01:160:162
Learning Goals: 1, 2, 3, 5
The goal of this course is to teach students how to apply basic chemical concepts to understand the biogeochemical cycles and distributions of chemical constituents in the ocean. The course will cover major geochemical cycles including the major nutrients, the carbon/carbonate system and sedimentary diagenesis and focus on the interdisciplinary nature of modern problems in chemical oceanography. The use of chemical constituents as tracers for understanding biochemical cycles and their use in paleo reconstructions of ocean processes will also be covered. Interactive problem solving will be emphasized in assignments so that students gain experience using chemical data to understand the processes governing marine systems. Current research problems in chemical oceanography will be brought in though reading of the scientific literature for the preparation of the term paper.
11:628:474 (S) COASTAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES IN A CHANGING WORLD (3 cr)
Prerequisite: 11:628:320 Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems
Learning Goals: 1, 2, 5
Coastal environments are dynamic zones where terrestrial and marine environments meet. They are high productivity regions of intense biogeochemical cycling that are increasingly challenged by anthropogenic changes including: Sea level rise, ocean acidification, and eutrophication. The course will use coastal systems systems to explore important concepts in marine chemistry in the coastal zone and nearshore sediments and investigate how the disciplines of chemistry, biology and geology are used to understand marine processes in the coastal zone. We will explore 4 coastal environments from the poles to the tropics while building skills in analysis software.
11:628:476 (F) HISTORY OF THE EARTH SYSTEM (3 cr) syllabus
Prerequisites: Introductory courses in Chemistry, Biology, and Physics (or by permission).
Learning Goals: 1, 3, 5
Rates atmospheric, oceanographic, geological and biological concepts in an historical perspective to introduce the student to the major processes that have shaped Earth’s environment. The course will examine climatic processes on geological time scales, the evolution of organisms, the cycling of elements, and the feedbacks between these processes.
11:628:497 and 498 (F) SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN MARINE AND COASTAL SCIENCES (credits by arrangement) Learning Contract
Learning Goals: 4
Research projects under the guidance of faculty members:
Students can take Special Problems in Marine Sciences at any stage during their degree. There are two course numbers, one for the fall and one for the spring, meaning you can register for the course twice over your course of study. Students who want to sign up for research credits will need to find a faculty member in Marine Sciences who can accommodate them in their lab to conduct independent research under their guidance. Once an instructor has been identified, the student needs to complete Part I of the Learning Contract with their instructor and return it to the Undergraduate Program Director. Once the form is received the student will receive a Special Permission Number (SPN) that allows them to add the course to their schedule. The number of credits students can receive always semester depends on how many hours per week are agreed with the instructor to spend on the research project. As a rule of thumb, each credit corresponds to three hours per week during the semester, or roughly 120 hours for three credits over the whole semester. Note that for research projects conducted over the summer or winter the student will be signed up for credits in the following fall or spring.
Instead of working with a faculty member in our department students can also do an independent research project or internship at an external institution. Opportunities for such internships are frequently posted under the Opportunities tab on our undergrad webpage. Please consult with the Undergrad Program Director before doing an internship at an external institution.