Ocean Ecosystems and Changing Climate

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

The ocean plays profound roles in regulating the global climate and creating habitat for the majority of life on the planet, including human life. In this course, we will examine the physical, chemical, biological, and human connections between the oceans, their living systems, and the changing climate. We will learn how ocean circulation systems are established and how they regulate climate, we will explore how oceanographic features in different regions give rise to diverse types of marine ecosystems, such as arctic waters, coastal kelp forests, open ocean phytoplankton-dominated systems, and coal reefs. We will examine how human activity has influenced ocean ecosystems, specifically the connection between greenhouse gas emissions, rising ocean temperatures, and ocean acidification, and will explore how these changes influence human populations. Each student will develop their own ocean and climate change project to identify just and equitable solutions for addressing climate change or other human-induced ocean impacts.