By the end of this immersive 3-week course, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the major processes shaping the world’s oceans and the methodological approaches used to study them.
Students will be able to:
• Interpret physical, chemical, biological, and geological datasets to understand ocean structure, circulation, biogeochemistry, and ecosystem dynamics.
• Explain the major components of ocean systems, including stratification, circulation, carbon cycling, primary and secondary production, food webs, microbial processes, and ocean–climate interactions.
• Process and analyze real shipboard and laboratory samples, integrating observations into a coherent scientific narrative.
• Use core field, laboratory, and analytical techniques in oceanography, including CTD profiling, water sampling, plankton collection, microscopy, PCR, and sequencing.
• Interpret environmental drivers and anthropogenic impacts such as climate change, ocean acidification, plastic pollution, and shifting species ranges.
• Present an independent research case study linked to a topic discussed in the class and/or labs.
Requires admission to the Semester in Environmental Science at Woods Hole Marine Biology Lab