BISC 586 Biological Oceanographic Instrumentation 2017

This class is meant to provide students with an overview of methods, instrumentation and equipment used in oceanographic studies of the water column and the ocean floor. In this class we will also address issues of instrument calibration, interpretation of measurements, and data management.

Students will select a topic of their choice to be presented at the end of the class and as a written document to be submitted. The class ends with an exam.

Instructors

Dr. WiebkeZiebis

3616 Trousdale Parkway, AHF 335

Phone (office): (213) 821-1198

e-mail:

Dr. James Moffett

3616 Trousdale Parkway, AHF 204

Phone: (213) 740-2656

e-mail:

Location: AHF 259

Time: 10 am – 11:30 am

2 units

Introduction and Purposes

Course Objectives: The main goal of this course is to foster an understanding of how marine scientists use sampling devices, in-situ instrumentation and analytical methods to explore the processes in the ocean and to address environmental issues. A parallel objective of this course is the development of an expertise in assessing the validity of analytical data in supporting research questions. Most importantly, this course uses an approach to expose students to authentic methods of scientific inquiry.

Course Outline: The course will cover approaches used for investigations in the water column as well as at the sea floor and the deep biosphere. We will survey analytical principles, theories and applications behind commonly used methodologies in biological oceanography. The class will also examine data management in ocean science, metadata and how to access national data archives.

The introduction to analytical methods includes:

  • Instrumentation used at sea to sample the water column, sediments and the sub-seafloor (ocean drilling)
  • In-situ measurements in the water column (e.g. Conductivity, Temperature, Density (CTD), light intensity, chlorophyll concentrations)
  • Instrumentation and use of submersibles or remote operated vehicles to explore the ocean floor and the deep sub-surface (e.g. oxygen transport, production and consumption; geochemical gradients that provide clues on microbial activities)
  • Laboratory analyses of parameters that are relevant for the understanding of biogeochemical processes in the ocean (for example oxygen, carbon, nutrients, metals)

The introduction of data management will include:

  • Demonstration how to access and use different oceanographic web pages and data bases
  • Introduction and practice in the use of existing data bases.
  • Calculation of geochemical gradients, ocean productivity, microbial activity, chemical fluxes

The approach of the course will follow a general sequence of themes that will 1) introduce diverse methods used in marine biology and chemistry 2) cover diverse analytical instruments used in marine/environmental oceanography, 3) discuss basic concepts of statistics in support of analytical methods, 4) build gradual expertise in problem-solving using a suite of different instruments and analytical approaches seeking to address current issues in oceanography.

Our goal is that students will emerge from the class with a working knowledge of most of the core oceanographic techniques used by biological oceanographers in support of their research.

Students will also know whom to contact at USC and elsewhere if they need to use specific instrumentation, scientific approaches and data bases in the course of their research.

  • Grading breakdown

We expect students to attend regularly. We like to be informed if students are unable to attend a lecture or a laboratory exercise and will decide on an individual basis how the student will be able to make up for the missed class.

Paper and Presentation

After the first 4 weeks we would like students to choose a topic, on which they will prepare a scientific paper (10 pages) and will give a presentation to the class (10 min. presentation + 5 min. discussion). The papers have to be turned in at the end of the 6th week of classes. Papers will be subjected to the “turnitin” protocol via Blackboard application. The presentations will be given during the last 2 weeks of the course.

Grades will be based on

Participation: 10 %

Presentation: 30 %

Paper: 30 %

Exam: 10%

The papers will be evaluated based on correctness, completeness, and quality of written paper. Presentations will be evaluated similarly for correctness, completeness and quality of presentation.