Biological Oceanography

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Teaching Methods

The general concepts and theoretical questions will be approached through face to face lectures, supported by audio-visual means, and also through lectures at distance (B-learning). Transposition to practice will be achieved through laboratory and field work, and exercises using adequate software. The students will work on their own projects, starting from situations identified during the field work and papers reading, and will present reports in the course mini-seminars. These reports will be considered in evaluating the students’ performance, together with a written exam.

Learning Outcomes

General objetives

The students should acquire:

General knowledge on the epistemological development of oceanography and paradigms involved;

Comprehension, from an integrated and multidisciplinary perspective, of the structure and functioning of ocean ecosystems, at the light of prevailing theories, with emphasis on the interaction of physical, chemical, geological, and biological processes in the marine environment;

Knowledge on the main methodologies utilized in the study of marine ecosystems, namely regarding the observation and measurement of different aspects related to physical, chemical, geological, and biological processes;

Knowledge on methodologies for data analysis and ecological quality assessment in the marine environment;

Skills to utilize the acquired knowledge in the expected daily practice of a professional in the field of Biological Oceanography.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Brief history of ocean exploration and Oceanography.

Formation of the marine environment and it geological, chemical, and biological evolution.

Ocean physics and chemistry: Temperature, salinity, and density.

Deep sea and surface waters circulation; Waves and tides; River discharges and estuarine circulation; Dissolved chemical elements; Particulate matter; Ocean chemical composition; Sediments; Ocean-atmosphere interactions.

Biology of the ocean: Vertical structure and interface ecology; Upwelling; Surf zones and intertidal zones; Ecological effects of short-term physical variations; Pelagic flora and fauna (plankton and nekton); Marine benthos; Bento-pelagic coupling; Productive processes; Marine food webs.

Techniques and tools for the study of the ocean.

Present challenges in Oceanography: a) Marine bioprospection; b) Mineral resources in coastal zones and continental platform; c) Deep sea resources; d) Marine pollution; e) Sustainable use of the oceans.

Head Lecturer(s)

José Carlos Caetano Xavier

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Laboratory work or Field work: 20.0%
Project: 30.0%
Frequency: 50.0%

Bibliography

Kaiser, M. J., M. J. Attrill, S. Jennings, D. N. Thomas & D. K. A. Barnes, 2011. Marine ecology: processes, systems and impacts. Oxford University Press (2nd edition), ISBN-10: 0199227020, ISBN-13: 978-0199227020, 501 p.

Mann, K. H. & J. R. N. Lazier, 2005. Dynamics of marine ecosystems: biological-physical interactions in the oceans. Wiley-Blackwell (3rd edition), ISBN-10: 1405111186, ISBN-13: 978-1405111188, 512 p.

Miller, C. B. & P. A. Wheeler, 2012. Biological Oceanography. Wiley-Blackwell; 2 edition, ISBN-10: 144433302X, ISBN-13: 978-1444333022, 480 p.

List of other selected papers, updasted each year, including case studies and reviews.