A Watery World | Oceanography & Marine Science

The waters of our oceans are governed by a complex system of currents, conveyors, tidal, and atmospheric influences. Theses systems shape the lives of all creatures on planet earth, but especially those who inhabit the oceans and seas. In this multi-day course we'll explore the forces that control our oceans and draw connections between these systems and the marine biology of our watery world.

The course is broken into 4 sections, each one is covered over 2 meetings. Please note the frequency of meetings in each section. 
*New this summer! Take a watery world twice weekly over 4 weeks!*

Unit 1(Meeting 1-2): A Very Wet Place
Unit 1 introduces students to the hydrosphere of planet Earth. We discuss the water cycle and the major ocean and atmospheric currents that move water around the planet. We learn about the global ocean conveyor belt and deep sea circulation. We also take a look at life forms found in the deepest corners of our ocean, including those which defy our understanding of life all together.

Unit 2 (Meeting 3-4): A Beach in Montana and Other Strange Times
Unit 2 takes a look back in time to determine how our planets seas formed in the first place. We'll discuss the formation of Earths atmosphere, and talk about how ancient seas were a breading ground for phytoplankton and primordial creatures. Observing the Western Interior Seaway, an ancient shallow sea which stretched from Montana to Missouri, we'll learn to see our worlds oceans as an ever changing force of creation and change. Toward the end of this unit students will begin to explore concepts of evolutionary biology, as we see a transformation from ancient sea life to more familiar modern creatures. We'll also talk about changes in the seas and atmosphere that brought about a series of ice ages and the formation of polar ice caps.

Unit 3 (Meeting 5-6): The Ice We Skate, is Getting Petty Thin
In Unit 3 students begin with a study of ice on earth over the past 100 years. We look at cores and sediment samples, and with these, understand the primary evidence for climate change- two congruent records of CO2 and temperature in the atmosphere and seas. We'll observe the primary causes of a changing climate, both natural and man made.We observe how increasing sea temperatures affect marine life, and the land animals who depend on it. We'll learn the ecology of coral reefs and tropical structures, as well as the effects found on deep ocean currents.

Unit 4 (Meeting 7-8): The Seas of Change
Meeting 7 and 8 see us exploring Earths oceans for clues about our planets future. We'll look at potential solutions to problems that affect our oceans. We'll look at problems such as overfishing, ocean acidification, and endangered species issues. We'll observe phenomenon like El Nino & La Nina, and talk about how scientist work to predict these occurrences. We'll also discuss marine mammals like whales, seals, & dolphins, and observe how changing seas affect their behaviors. We'll look at a variety of solutions available to mitigate and build resilience as sea levels rise.

This course will be taught in a lecture-discussion format. Students will have ample of opportunity to participate, ask questions, and engage directly with the content of our lessons. Students will be encouraged to thing critically and creatively in each lesson. This class is highly informative, but always aims to bring excitement and joy to the students learning. 

In between each meeting students will have bonus content shared in the classroom. This might be an interesting short video or current event article regarding our oceans. This activity is always optional, but aims to support the interests expressed by learners in each class.