Undergraduate Catalog 2023-2024

ENSC 4715 Oceanography

Prerequisite: BIOL 1108 with a C or better. This course will provide a broad overview of Physical, Chemical, and Geological Oceanography and functions as a complementary course to Marine Biology (ENSC 3500). The purpose of this course is to introduce the student to the main ideas, theories, techniques and accomplishments of the scientific study of the ocean. Although we call our planet "Earth", it truly is a water planet, with oceans covering almost 71 percent of its surface. Water is an absolutely necessary ingredient for the development and sustenance of living organisms, including humans. The oceans have a great deal to tell us about the development of the planet and origin of life forms on it. Students will develop a basic but clear understanding of the physics, chemistry, geology, and biology contributions that make the ocean such a unique environment, influencing all of our daily activities.

Credits

4