Syllabus Oceanography SPICE - SEA Semester ·...

SEA Semester®: Sustainability in Polynesian Island Cultures & Ecosystems

www.sea.edu Oceanography -‐ 1

Oceanography CAS NS 221 (3 credits) Course Catalog Description (max. 40 words): Explore how interconnected ocean characteristics (bathymetry, seawater chemistry, biological diversity) and processes (plate tectonics, surface and deep-‐water circulation, biological production) shape global patterns across multiple scales. Discuss destination-‐specific environmental issues and hot topics in marine research. Instructor(s): Sea Education Association Oceanography Faculty Location: SEA campus in Woods Hole, MA, at sea aboard SEA’s sailing school vessel (SSV) Robert C. Seamans, and onshore in New Zealand. Prerequisites: Admission to SEA Semester. Course Philosophy and Approach: Sustainability in Polynesian Island Cultures (SPICE) is an interdisciplinary program that examines the interaction of culture and ecological sustainability. We develop the program around this theme by first establishing a working definition of “sustainability,” using the islands on our cruise track as case studies. We address the relationship between people and their environment, and look for ways to measure and assess the impact of agriculture and aquaculture, fishing, the introduction of new species of plants and animals, changing demographics due to migration and European colonization, and the impact of global trading networks. The SPICE program consists of five courses, each with specific academic requirements, although the lines between the disciplines in lectures, discussions and projects are, by design, blurred into an interdisciplinary whole. Discussion of course materials from environmental, historical, cultural, scientific and nautical perspectives will integrate our program themes. To understand the life on the islands we will visit, it is essential that we develop a good understanding of the ocean around them. On the largest scale the ocean mediates the climate; it creates rainfall patterns and winds that shape agriculture while sometimes giving rise to severe droughts that have shaped the cultural practices in particular archipelagoes. On the smallest scale the ocean currents interact with the volcanic roots of the islands to give rise to coral reefs, fundamentally shaping the near-‐shore environments and coastal fisheries. Taking place mostly during the sea component, the Oceanography course sets out to build this understanding. Complemented by and building upon introductory materials also presented in Marine Environmental History (MEH) ashore, and with the research capabilities of the SSV Robert C. Seamans, we will use the tools of modern ocean sciences to develop a robust understanding of this environment. Students join the ship’s crew at sea and stand regular watches in the shipboard laboratory. They will learn the practical skills of oceanography, allowing them to characterize the physical, chemical, biological and geological setting along our



cruise track. Lab work, instrument deployments and data analysis, together with lectures and group workshops, will lay the groundwork for a series of collaborative oceanography projects completed during the second shore component in New Zealand. By the end of the Oceanography course students will have gained a fundamental understanding of the dynamics of the tropical ocean, a practical set of skills in oceanographic field deployment and lab techniques, and valuable experience analyzing and presenting oceanographic data.

This course consists of 23 hours of lecture/discussion sessions, field trips and research workshops during the first shore component in Woods Hole, a minimum of 90 hours of laboratory watch participation (active learning/laboratory) and class lectures/demonstrations during the underway days at sea, and 10 hours of mentored oceanographic research project work sessions during the second shore component in New Zealand. Many of the activities listed on this syllabus are joint activities integrated with other SPICE courses, most particularly with Marine Environmental History (MEH); weekly contact hours summarized here and given in the course calendar below reflect only the portion allocated to this Oceanography course. Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand the fundamentals of chemical, physical, biological, and geological oceanography, with emphasis on those fundamentals as related to the ocean environment of the tropical Pacific region.

2. Gain practical experience in oceanographic data collection and taxonomic identification of marine organisms.

3. Demonstrate ability to critically analyze and interpret authentic oceanographic data. 4. Demonstrate ability to generate clear visual representations of oceanographic data,

equipment, and organisms; and to present scientific results in oral and written formats. 5. Participate and contribute as an essential member of a research team.

Evaluation:

Take-‐home exams (2) 30%

Lab skills and participation 30%

Final paper 40%

Assignments:

Take-‐Home Exams: While on shore, students will have weekly readings, assignments, lectures, and discussions that introduce them to scientific literature and key oceanographic concepts that provide crucial background material for carrying out their oceanographic research projects. Students’ understanding of this material will be tested in two take-‐home examinations during the course of the program. Emphasis will be on application of concepts, not rote memorization of facts.

Oceanography Lab Skills and Participation: During the sea component, students will be required to demonstrate skill proficiency in science lab procedures. They will gain a working familiarity



with safety protocols, lab operations, data management, equipment deployment and recovery procedures, and sample analyses. These will be assessed via a skills checklist and a lab practical once the introductory phase of the sea component is complete. Students’ participation in Oceanography watch activities onboard ship will be assessed in on-‐watch evaluations by SEA Assistant Scientists. Each student is an essential crewmember of the ship at sea. Excellent watch standers follow directions, work effectively as part of the team, show independence, demonstrate good judgment and leadership, and are a supportive, helpful, and reliable shipmate. Teamwork, management, and leadership, are essential skills of a successful watch stander and a student’s attitude and participation directly affect the physical progress of the voyage, the safety of the ship, and the quantity and quality of science work that we accomplish.

Final Research Paper: Students will work in collaborative teams to complete oceanographic research projects. These projects will start with research design onshore in Woods Hole, continue with a set of observations made using our shipboard lab, and ultimately build to a map of the key oceanographic parameters of the ocean around the islands we visit, together with a companion explanatory paper of 4-‐5 pages and supporting bibliography. Details of this research project, and related deliverables, will be discussed in the introductory class meeting.

Expectations and Requirements:

• Punctual attendance is required at every class meeting. • Active participation in class discussion is expected. • Late assignment submissions are not accepted. • The policy on academic accuracy, quoted below, will be strictly followed in this class.

The papers that you submit in this course are expected to be your original work. You must take care to distinguish your own ideas and knowledge from wording or substantive information that you derive from one of your sources. The term “sources” includes not only published primary and secondary material, but also information and opinions gained directly from other people and text that you cut and paste from any site on the Internet. The responsibility for learning the proper forms of citation lies with you. Quotations must be placed properly within quotation marks and must be cited fully. In addition, all paraphrased material must be acknowledged completely. Whenever ideas or facts are derived from your reading and research, the sources must be indicated. (Harvard Handbook for Students, 305)

• Considerations for use of internet sources: As you browse websites, assess their usefulness very critically. Who posted the information and why? Can you trust them to be correct? Authoritative? Unbiased? (It’s okay to use a biased source as long as you incorporate it knowingly and transparently into your own work.) Keep track of good sources that might be useful for subsequent assignments, and annotate in your bibliography any sites you cite. Your annotation should include the name of the author or organization originating any material that you reference. If you can’t identify the source, don’t use it!



Required Texts and Background Research References (partial list):

Fernández-‐Álamo, María Ana and Färber-‐Lorda, Jaime. 2006. Zooplankton and the oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific: a review. Progress in Oceanography, 69: 318-‐359.

Fiedler, Paul C. and Talley, Lynne D. 2006. Hydrography of the eastern tropical Pacific: a review. Progress in Oceanography, 69: 143-‐180.

Legeckis, Richard, et al., 2004. Drift of the Kon-‐Tiki. Oceanography I, 17(4): 166-‐175.

McPhaden et al., 2006. ENSO as an integrating concept in earth science. Science, 314: 1740-‐1745.

Oliver, Douglas. 2002. Polynesia: In Early Historic Times. Bess Press, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Pennington, J. Timothy, et al. 2006. Primary production in the eastern tropical Pacific: a review. Progress in Oceanography, 69: 285-‐317.

Segar, D.A. 2007. Introduction to Ocean Sciences. 2nd Edition. W.W. Norton & Company, NY.

Course Calendar:

Topic Readings/Assignments Due

Week 1 (7 hours) – on shore at SEA campus in Woods Hole

Introduction to SPICE and Oceanography (OC): Projects & Course Expectations

Lecture/Discussion Topics: • Sustainability – Deconstructing & Defining a

Complex Topic • Demographics of Sustainability • The Life & Death of the Oceanic Pacific Islands • Winds & Currents in the Tropical Pacific • Cruise Track Introduction

Workshop: Reading lists; introduction to research; writing & editing standards

Readings: Oliver, Polynesia, p. 1-‐21. Selections from Segar (2007)


Lecture/Discussion Topics: • The Stratified Tropical Ocean • Biological Productivity of Tropical Waters

First Research Group Meetings

Field Trip: Port of New Bedford and Whaling Museum

Readings: Selections from Segar (2007) Background reading for oceanography

project topics (partial list given above).

Pick topics for oceanography projects




Lecture/Discussion Topics: • El Nino • Climate Change and Tropical Islands

Group research meetings

Field Trip: Wellfleet Oyster Farm

Readings: McPhaden et al. (2006) Selections from Segar (2007)


Lecture/Discussion Topics: • Tropical Island Fishing and Fisheries • Review of the Tropical Oceans • Oceanographic Preview/Cruise Research Plan

Group research meetings

Readings: Cruise Track Research Plan

Take-‐home exam

Oceanography research plans due

Weeks 5 and 6 (30 hours) – at sea between island visits

Phase I: • Introduction to the Shipboard Laboratory • Oceanographic Equipment Capabilities • Safe Deployment of Oceanographic Equipment

Class Topics: • Sample Plan Design • Hydrowire Deployment Demonstration • Neuston Tow Deployment Demonstration • Biological Sample Processing

Daily Reports

On-‐Watch Evaluation


Phase II: • Increased Responsibility for Lab Routines • Practice Deployments

Class Topics: • ADCP – Currents and Vertical Migration • Sub-‐Bottom Profiler-‐Regional Geology-‐Island

Formation • Fluorometry – Chlorophyll Analysis • Spectroscopy – Nutrient Analysis

Mentoring Session: Data Discussion I

Daily Reports

Skills Checklist





Phase III: • Apprentice Lab Manager

Mentoring session: Data Discussion II

Daily Reports


Lab Practical Exam

Weeks 11 and 12 (10 hours) – 2nd shore component in New Zealand

Mentored oceanographic research project work sessions.

Take-‐home exam.

Research papers due

Syllabus Oceanography SPICE - SEA Semester ·...

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