OS130S14 L1 Intro
OS130S14 L1 Intro
Oceanography
• T-TH 10:00-11:45
• Discussion Sections Weds. 14:00-15:10
(we’ll start next week)
• Textbook (not required):
– Kaiser, Marine Ecology 2E
– Others listed in the syllabus (optional)
Biological
Oceanography
• The Textbook is NOT mandatory, but it’s an
excellent book. We will occasionally refer to
it—if you absolutely need something from it,
I will make it available.
BREAK
Biological
Oceanography
Why is biological oceanography important?
•Oceanic phytoplankton fix 40-50 Gtons C yr-1
• terrestrial systems fix 50-65 Gt C yr-1
• standing stock of phytoplankton 0.30-0.75 Gt C, with a
turnover time of 2-6 d (!)
• terrestrial standing stock 800 Gt C, with a 13-16 yr turnover
time
• 5 - 25% of protein for food derived from fishing, dependent
on area
• also fertilizer, poultry food, livestock food, cosmetics, etc.
• regulation of global climate, both evolutionarily, climatically
Biological
Oceanography
• distributions
• composition (species or biochemical)
• biogeochemical activities
• trophic interactions
of marine communities
Biological
Oceanography
What’s in the water?
• Viruses, bacteria (heterotrophic, chemosynthetic), phytoplankton
(prochlorophytes, cyanobacteria, eukaryotes), zooplankton (micro,
meso, macro; holo-, meroplankton), nekton, benthos
100yr
10yr
Temporal scale
1yr
1mo
1wk
1d
1h
1min
1sec
• Biogeochemical cycles
Nitrogen cycle
Flux of carbon
• Vertical distribution
Hydrodynamics vs. behaviour
• Feeding
Effects of food availability, behaviour
Effects of the physical environment (turbulence)
Fisheries
•Animal-sediment relations
Effects of substrate on biota (flux of food resources,
colonization, predation)
Effects of biota on substrate (stabilization, bioturbation,
structure formation, flow modification)
• Ecological processes
Predation, competition, disturbance
Biological
Oceanography
Ecosystems
• North Atlantic, North Pacific
• Upwelling ecosystems
• Oligotrophic Gyres
• HNLC Regions
• Coastal and Estuarine
ecosystems
Biological
Oceanography
Unifying themes
• Quantitative approach
• Focus on populations/communities/
ecosystems NOT on individuals
Biological
Oceanography
Phytoplankton" Zooplankton"
Nutrients"
Phytoplankton
Zooplankton
Nutrients
(note: the papers on the website are subject to change. You are welcome to read them in advance, but
remember to check the assignments as the quarter continues).