| CODE | GSC1205 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Introductory Oceanography | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Geosciences | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit provides students with an in-depth understanding of the practical aspects of oceanography, focusing on the application of theoretical concepts to real-world challenges in marine and coastal environments. Students will explore a range of topics, including ocean circulation, hydrodynamics, wave dynamics, and the interactions between physical, chemical, and biological processes in the ocean. Emphasis is placed on developing practical skills in data collection, analysis, and interpretation using cutting-edge oceanographic instruments and software. Following this study-unit, students will have a strong foundation in applied oceanography, enabling them to contribute to the sustainable management of marine environments and pursue further research in environmental consultancy, or marine policy. The study-unit covers introductory aspects of both theoretical and practical oceanography. The main emphasis will be on the principles governing the motion of the oceans, sea-water properties and characteristics, water masses, air-sea interaction, influence of physical forcings (light, temp and salinity) on the pelagic domain, influence of nutrients on the pelagic domain, phytoplankton and zooplankton dynamics, and biophysical couplings. The study-unit will focus on the Mediterranean Sea and relate to the importance of the marine physical and biochemical environment for an ecosystem-based approach to the study of the sea. Study-Unit Aims: The aim of this study-unit is to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental introductory concepts and principles of oceanography. The study-unit is intended to initiate students in the specialised field of physical and biochemical oceanography. The study-unit seeks to provide the basic understanding to the physics, biology and chemistry of the sea as a key element for marine and earth sciences and serving as a foundation study-unit to other study-units related to the marine environment. It seeks to develop skills in using oceanographic instruments for data collection such as Conductivity, Temperature and Depth (CTD) devices, Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs), and water sampling tools. Students will also enhance their ability to analyse and interpret oceanographic data, with a focus on physical, chemical, and biological ocean processes. By addressing current issues in marine and coastal environments, such as resource management, pollution, and climate change, the study-unit will equip students with the knowledge and tools needed to tackle these challenges. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Explain the basic concepts underlying the physical characteristics of the oceans, its scales of variability and the main drivers of its circulation; - Explain the functioning of the marine ecosystem, and apprehend the available technologies and methods to observe the sea; - Describe the functioning of the Mediterranean basin-scale circulation focusing on the Central Mediterranean and the coastal seas around the Maltese Islands; - Explain natural phenomena occurring in the marine domain in a holistic manner with inter-linkages across various disciplines and across different scales. - Identify the main biotic components of the marine pelagic system and the main driving forces behind their phenology; - Explain the basic dynamics of global and regional variability in ocean salinity and of the cycling of the most salient biogeochemical components. - Recognise various oceanographic instruments, including water samplers, loggers, CTDs, hydrophones, ROVs, drifters, moored buoys, fixed platforms, floats, gliders, and HF Radars, for marine data collection. - Review marine data on different portals such as Copernicus and EMODnet. - Identify marine data using the SeaDataNet infrastructure within a European framework. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Analyse data collected from various oceanographic instruments. - Examine data portals to access and process marine datasets within a European context. - Explore marine data from different sources efficiently. - Combine datasets to produce comprehensive marine datasets. - Analyse data to solve practical challenges in marine science, such as monitoring, resource management, and environmental impact assessment. - Distinguish between different water bodies in terms of their inherent optical properties (IOPs) and trophic status. - Investigate the impact on pelagic communities of significant changes in forcing variables (e.g. light penetration, nutrient loading, water temperature, salinity, etc). - Practise on Ocean Data View (ODV) software to generate and analyse oceanographic datasets, including profiles, maps, and time-series plots. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Texts: - Thomas, D.N. & Bowers, D.G. (2021). Introducing Oceanography. (2nd edition). Dunedin Academic Press: 192pp. - Garrison, T. & Ellis, R. (2021). Introduction to oceanography: an invitation to Marine Science. (10th edition). National Geographic. - Liss, P.W.P. and S., M.D., 2018. Introduction to Oceanography. 6th ed. London: Pearson Education. Supplementary Readings: - Carol M. Lalli & Timothy Richard Parsons, (Open University) (1997). Biological Oceanography: An Introduction. Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd; 2nd edition, 320pp - Bigg, G.R. and McGinnis, C.W.D., 2016. Oceanographic Instrumentation. 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. - Butler, D.L.D., 2015. Marine Data Analysis: The Basics. New York: Springer. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-requisite Qualifications:At least ONE (1) A Level in a Science subject and at least an Intermediate pass in Mathematics | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||||||
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| LECTURER/S | Adam Gauci |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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