ES 321 - Introduction to Oceanography
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ESCI 321 - Introduction to Oceanography - Syllabus - Fall 2008

Lecture Location: AH 04                                                       

Instructor: David H. Shull (Homepage)
Meeting time: TR 9:00-10:50 AM                                   Office: ES 445, ext. 3690
CRN: 42576                                                                     Office hours: TWR 10 AM-12 PM
                                                            Email: david.shull@wwu.edu

OBJECTIVES:

1.  To gain an understanding of the physical, chemical, geological, and biological processes that affect marine ecosystems
2.   Identify challenges in marine science that must be solved by interdisciplinary thinking.
3.   Address important environmental issues in Puget Sound, the Washington coast, and across the globe

 LECTURE:

Initially, the organization of the lectures will follow the textbook.  Lectures will cover key concepts found in the readings, but often I will emphasize ideas not covered in the text.  Later, when we cover biological oceanography and interdisciplinary topics, the lectures and the text will diverge somewhat.  The schedule will likely vary a bit depending upon students’ interests and teaching opportunities.  I will update the schedule as needed and inform the class of any changes as appropriate.  If you miss class for any reason, it is your responsibility to become aware of these changes and prepare accordingly.  All material assigned from the text, handouts, assigned reserve reading, and lectures are fair game for exams.

PREREQUISITES:

Two quarters of biology; CHEM 115 or 121; Math 115; Recommended: GEOL 340, physics.

COURSE WEB SITE:

I will use the course web site for posting the syllabus, lectures, answers to exam questions, reading assignments, and course announcements.  http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~shulld/es321

TEXTS AND REQUIRED READING:

Textbook: An Introduction to the World's Oceans, 10th Ed. Keith A. Sverdrup and E. Virginia Armbrust. McGraw-Hill, 2009. ISBN: 978-0-07-337670-7. 

Handouts: Various articles given in class or posted on web site prior to pertinent lecture or lab activities.

EVALUATION GUIDELINES:

               Exams1                                                   

80%
               Project2                                    10%
               Quizzes3        10%

APPROXIMATE GRADING SCALE:

 93-100  A  90-92  A-  88-89  B+  83-87  B  80-82  B-   78-79  C+
 73-77    C  69-72  C-   67-68  D+    61-66  D  57-60  D-  0-56    F

1 The two midterms will each be worth 20% of the final grade.  These exams will cover factual material as well as conceptual material requiring integrative thinking.  The final exam, worth 40% of the final grade, will be cumulative but will focus on biology and interdisciplinary topics.

2 The project will be a quantitative problem requiring application of oceanographic principles.  (See project tab for details).

3 Quizzes will cover reading material for discussion.