Oceanography Course Descriptions
From FSU General Bulletin 2003-2005
DEFINITION OF PREFIXES
ISC: Interdisciplinary Sciences
MAP: Mathematics Applied
OCB: Biological Oceanography
OCC: Chemical Oceanography
OCE: General Oceanography
OCG: Geological Oceanography
OCP: Physical Oceanography
PEN: Physical Education Activities
(General): Water, Snow, Ice
PSC: Physical Sciences
UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
ELEMENTARY
ISC 2003
Global Change, Its Scientific & Human Dimensions (3).
Prerequisites: Two years high school science,
two years high school math. Global environmental change, scientific and
human dimensions, and international public policy implications.
OCE 1001 (Sections 1 & 2)
Elementary Oceanography (3). Prerequisite: MGF 1106 or 1107.
Structure and motion of the ocean and its
environs, properties, populations, and energy budget. Not intended for
upper-division science or mathematics majors. Upper-division science or
mathematics majors are encouraged instead to take OCE 4011.
PSC 2800C
Earth Science for EC/EE
Teachers (4). For a complete description, see interdisciplinary science
courses listed in the College of Arts and Sciences chapter of the
General Bulletin.
SCIENCE PREPARATORY
ISC 4931r
Special Topics in Environmental
Science (1-3). Analyzes new scientific developments in the Earth's
changing environment system and its links to human activities and policies.
An emphasis on ocean, atmosphere, and terrestrial environments, and the
human dimensions of their change will strengthen students' interdisciplinary
understanding of environmental science. Specific topics will vary from
year to year. May be repeated to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.
OCE 4011
Principles of Oceanography
(3). Prerequisite: A science major or minor. Dynamic
motions and life processes in the marine environment. Long-term geologic
history of the oceans and recent changes caused by man.
ADVANCED
OCB 4637
Marine Benthic Ecology
(3). Prerequisite: ZOO 4203C or as a corequisite with permission of instructor.
The physical setting and ecological organization of the communities found
in the rocky intertidal, in the fouling habitat, on sandy beaches, in subtidal
soft bottoms, and in the deep sea is presented through lectures, substantial
reading, and class discussions.
OCC 4002
Basic Chemical Oceanography
(3). Prerequisites: CHM 1046. Chemical composition of seawater, carbon
dioxide system, nutrients, trace elements, and biogeochemistry.
OCE 4017r
Current Issues in Environmental Science
(3). Taught at an introductory level, this class includes discussions of current ground-breaking research,
environmental problems, and approaches to solving them. This course consists of presentations by experts on
their current research topics or environmental issues. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
OCG 4050
Geological Oceanography
(3). Structural and oceanographic setting of continents and ocean basins,
plate tectonics, ocean margins, marine sediments, and ocean history.
SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTION
OCE 4905r
Directed Individual Study
(1-3). (S/U grade only.) May be repeated to a maximum of ten (10) semester hours.
OCE 4906r
Directed Individual Study
(1-4). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. May be repeated, subject to
limitations that may apply from the individual student's major departments,
to a maximum of eighteen (18) semester hours.
OCE 4930r
Studies in Oceanography
(1-4). Prerequisites: See instructor. Topics vary. May be repeated when content
changes, for a maximum of nine (9) semester hours.
PEN 1136
Theory and Practice of Compressed-Gas Diving (3). An introduction to the field of compressed
gas diving that exposes the students to the use of underwater technology
and techniques in support of science.
GRADUATE COURSES
CORE CURRICULUM
OCB 5050:
Basic Biological Oceanography
(3). Introduction to the organization of benthic and planktonic communities
in the ocean.
OCC 5050:
Basic Chemical Oceanography
(3). Prerequisite: CHM 1046. The chemical composition of seawater, carbon
dioxide system, nutrients, trace elements, biogeocemistry.
OCG 5051:
Basic Geological Oceanography
(3). Structural and oceanographic setting of continents and ocean basins,
plate tectonics, ocean margins, marine sediments, and ocean history.
OCP 5050:
Basic Physical Oceanography
(3). Prerequisite: MAC 2311. Seawater properties, currents, waves, tides,
and acoustics. Not open to students in physical oceanography option.
BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
OCB 5305
Marine Nekton: Larval Fish to Whales
(3). Overview of marine nekton including bony and cartilaginous fishes,
cephalopods, reptiles and mammals. A survey of the taxonomy, anatomy/functional
morphology and physiology of these groups including aspects of their
relationships with humans.
OCB 5515
Marine Microbiology
(3). The role of microorganisms in the economy and productivity of the
sea. The role of microbes in geological and geochemical processes.
OCB 5566
Zooplankton Ecology
(3). Ecology of marine micro and macro zooplankton; major topics include
biogeography, life histories, effects of physical, chemical, and biological
factors on population dynamics. Open to advanced undergraduates with
consent of instructor.
OCB 5565
Marine Primary Production
(3). Factors that affect the biomass production and spatial distribution
of phytoplankton, seagrasses, and macroalgae in the ocean will be described.
The key role of marine primary production in the global carbon cycle will
be explained.
OCB 5600
Biological Fluid Dynamics
(3). (S/U grade only.) Prerequisite: Algebra. Designed to introduce biological
oceanography and biology graduate students to the consequences of fluid
flow for biological systems. The text, Vogel's "Life in Moving Fluids,"
is supplemented by movies, problem sets, and demonstrations. Students
will present a chapter from the text plus supplementary material at each
meeting.
OCB 5636
Marine Microbial Ecology
(3). The diversity, distribution and roles of marine microbes, whose members
include viruses, bacteria, archaea and protists, will be presented through
lectures, readings, class discussions, and field trips to regional marine
habitats.
OCB 5639
Marine Benthic Ecology
(3). Prerequisite: ZOO 4203C; college-level statistics recommended.
Open to advanced undergraduates with consent of instructor. The physical
setting and community organization of these habitats are presented through
lectures and substantial readings: rocky intertidal, sand beach, subtidal
soft bottom, coral reef, deep-sea habitats.
CHEMICAL AND GEOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
OCC 5052
Aquatic Chemistry
(3). Prerequisites: CHM 3400; OCC 5050. Thermodynamics, acid-base and redox
reactions in natural waters, solution-precipitation reactions, complex
formation, case studies of composition of seawater, and controlling processes.
OCC 5062
Marine Isotopic Chemistry
(3). Prerequisites: OCC 5050; OCP 5050; Corequisite: CHS 4100C. Application
of radiochemistry and stable isotope geochemistry in the oceanographic and
environmental sciences.
OCC 5065
Environmental Chemistry
(3). Prerequisite: Consent of instructor. Principles of water chemistry,
hydrology and systems analysis applied to solving problems in water quality.
OCC 5415
Marine Geochemistry
(3). Prerequisite: OCC 5050. Introduction to geochemistry of earth with
emphasis on processes controlling elemental cycling between the earth's
crust, oceans, and atmosphere. Controls on the chemical composition of
seawater and its geological history.
OCC 5416
Organic Geochemistry (3).
Prerequisite: OCC 5050. Occurrence and transformations of organic substances
in the marine environment.
OCC 5417
Geochemical Ocean Tracers
(3). Prerequisites: OCC 5050; OCP 5050. Mixing models and processes affecting
dissolved concentrations and distributions of chemicals and radiotracers
in the world's oceans.
OCC 5554
Atmospheric Chemistry
(3). Prerequisites: CHM 4410; OCP 5050; OCC 5050. Formation and transport
of atmospheric trace gases and aerosols.
OCG 5457
Stable Isotopes as Tracers
in Aquatic Ecosystems (3). Prerequisites: a course in chemistry and
a course in mathematics, 1000 level or higher. The course will discuss
the notation, fractionation effects, laboratory techniques and application
of stable isotopes to aquatic ecosystems. Discussions will include
applications for stable isotope tracing techniques for deep sea sediments,
estuaries and wetlands. Their uses extend from revealing climatic
history to variations in food web dynamics.
PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Map 5431
Introduction to Fluid
Dynamics (3). Prerequisites: PHY 3048C, MAP 4153; Corequisite: MAP 4341,
5345, or consent of instructor. Physical properties of viscous fluids,
kinematics of flow fields, governing equations, viscous flow. Dynamics
of viscous incompressible fluids, vorticity, boundary layer flow, potential flow.
MAP 6434r.
Advanced Topics in Hydrodynamics
(2). Selected topics such as stability problems, linear and nonlinear theories;
regular and singular perturbation techniques. Also offered in the departments
of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Meteorology. May be repeated for
a maximum of eighteen (18) semester hours.
OCP 5056
Introduction to Physical
Oceanography (3). Prerequisite: PHY 2049C, MAP 2302, or consent of
the instructor. Properties of seawater, equations of motion and continuity
of volume, geostrophic motion, stability and double diffusion, ocean currents.
OCP 5160
Ocean Waves (3). Prerequisite:
OCP 5253 or consent of instructor. Topics included are: general properties
of waves; surface gravity, capillary, inertia-gravity, internal, Kelvin,
Rossby; continental shelf and coastal trapped waves; many illustrations
of how ocean variability can be described by free and forced waves.
OCP 5253
Fluid Dynamics: Geophysical
Applications (3). Prerequisites: MAP 5431 and partial differential
equations, or consent of instructor. Shallow-water theory, Poincare, Kelvin,
and Rossby waves; boundary layer theory; wind driven ocean circulation
models; quasigeostrophic motion on a sphere, thermocline problem; stability
theories. Also offered by the departments of Mathematics, Computer Science,
and Meteorology.
OCP 5255
Stability of Geophysical
Fluid Flows (3). Classical linear stability theory of fluid flows with
examples and applications in geophysical fluid dynamics. Specific topics
include inviscid, viscous, and stratified parallel shear flow, thermal
convection, double-diffusive systems, and rotating systems.
OCP 5259
Eddies and Rings as Heat
Exchange Mechanism (3). Prerequisites: MAP 5431; OCP 5056, 5253, 5285. Migratory
behavior of eddies, rings and gyres. Evolution and decay of eddies in the upper, deep
and intermediate ocean.
OCP 5262
Coastal Ocean Dynamics(3).
Prerequisites: MAP 5431, OCP 5253, or consent of instructor. Dynamics of
wind-driven coastal flow. Effects on coastal flows of coastline geometry,
bottom topography, friction, and density stratification. An overview of
the physical processes for advanced graduate students.
OCP 5263
Equatorial Dynamics (3).
Prerequisites: Consent of instructor. Forced and unforced equatorial
ocean waves, reflection of equatorial waves from ocean boundaries, equatorial
currents, El Niño/Southern Oscillation dynamics.
OCP 5265
Main Ocean Thermocline
(3). Prerequisites: MAP 5431, OCP 5261, or consent of instructor. Large-scale
ocean dynamics and observations. Linear theories. Classical nonlinear theories.
Ventilated-thermocline model and applications. Relation of thermocline
to ocean circulation.
OCP 5271
Turbulence (3). Prerequisite:
OCP 5253. Turbulent transport of momentum and heat; dynamics of turbulence;
homogeneous isotropic turbulence; wall bounded shear flows; statistical
description of turbulence; spectra. Also offered by the Department of Meteorology.
OCP 5285
Dynamic Oceanography
(3). Prerequisite: OCP 5056. Currents with friction, effects of turbulence,
thermohaline circulation, waves.
OCP 5551
Physics of the Air-Sea
Boundary Layer (3). Prerequisites: OCP 5285, MET 4302, or consent of
instructor. Flux of momentum, heat and water; study of air sea interaction;
mechanisms of exchange and budgets. Also offered by the Department of Meteorology.
SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTION AND SEMINAR
OCB 5930r
Special Topics in Biological Oceanography
(1-3). May be repeated to a maximum of thirty (30) semester hours.
OCB 5939r
Biological Oceanography Seminar
(1). (S/U grade only) Meets weekly for reports and discussions
of recent biological oceanographic research within and outside of the department.
May be repeated for a maximum of ten (10) semester hours.
OCC 5419C
Advanced Biogeochemistry: Field Methods and Concepts
(3) Prerequisites: BSC 2010; CHM 1046. This course teaches a hands-on approach for the
elucidation/quantification of environmental parameters and microbial processes and
provides students with a tool kit of relevant field and lab techniques which may be
used in a variety of environmental settings.
OCC 5930r
Special Topics in Chemical Oceanography
(1-3). May be repeated to a maximum of thirty (30) semester hours.
OCC 5939r
Chemical Oceanography Seminar
(1). (S/U grade only.) Meets weekly for reports and discussions
of recent chemical oceanographic research within and outside of the department.
May be repeated for a maximum of ten (10) semester hours.
OCE 5908r
Directed Individual Study
(1-12). (S/U grade only)
OCE 5910r
Supervised Research
(1-5). (S/U grade only.) A maximum of three (3) hours may apply to the
master's degree, five (5) to the Ph.D.
OCE 5940r
Supervised Teaching (1-5).
(S/U grade only.) A maximum of three (3) hours may apply to the master's
degree, five (5) to the Ph.D.
OCP 5930r
Special Topics in Physical
Oceanography (1-3). May be repeated to a maximum of thirty (30) semester
hours.
OCP 5939r
Physical Oceanography
Seminar (1). (S/U grade only.) Meets weekly for reports and discussions
of recent physical oceanographic research within and outside of the department.
May be repeated for a maximum of ten (10) semester hours.
GENERAL
OCE 5009
Advanced General Oceanography
(3). An overview of geological, physical, chemical and biological oceanography.
The major hypothesis in each subdiscipline will be described. Cross-linkages
between subdisciplines will be used to show the interdisciplinary nature
of modern oceanography.
OCE 5018r
Current Issues in Environmental Science
(3) Taught at an introductory level, this class includes discussions of current ground-breaking
research, environmental problems, and approaches to solving them. This course consists of
presentations by experts on their current research topics or on environmental issues. May
be repeated to a maximum of six (6) semester hours.
OCE 5971r
Thesis (1-6). (S/U
grade only.) A minimum of six (6) semester hours is required.
OCE 6980r
Dissertation (1-12). (S/U
grade only.) A minimum of twenty-four (24) semester hours is required.
OCE 8964r
Preliminary Doctoral Examination (0). (S/U grade only.)
OCE 8976r
Master's Thesis Defense (0). (S/U grade only.)
OCE 8985r
Dissertation Defense (0). (S/U grade only.)
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