Course Syllabus
Ocean Ecosystems and Changing Climate |
| Semester & Location: |
Fall 2024 - DIS Copenhagen |
| Type & Credits: |
Elective Course - 3 credits |
| Major Disciplines: |
Biology, Environmental Science, Sustainability |
| Prerequisite(s): |
Must correspond to the prereqs on the course page on the website. If no prereqs, please put "None". |
| Faculty Members: |
Jodi Schwartz (current students please use the Canvas Inbox) |
| Time & Place: |
Weekday, time, classroom |
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 artic waters, coastal kelp forests, open ocean phytoplankton-dominated systems, and coral 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.
Learning objectives:
- Describe physiological and ecological processes in select marine ecosystems, and provide reasoned explanations for the underlying evolutionary and oceanographic factors that have shaped those ecosystems.
- Identify relevant articles and other information in the fields of marine ecology and sustainability and accurately summarize and critically evaluate selected papers.
- Understand key issues and challenges to ocean and coastal ecosystems and explain the human-ocean interconnections.
- Engage in informed discussions about contemporary issues in marine sustainability, including ideas for just and equitable research approaches, solutions, or interventions.
- Clearly and effectively communicate information about complex systems to both scientific and non-scientific audiences.
Faculty:
Jodi Schwarz is a Visiting Faculty at DIS. She is an Associate Professor in Biology at Vassar College where she also teaches in the Environmental Studies program. Her research background is in marine genomics and coral symbiosis biology. She is a founding co-director of Vassar’s Inclusive Excellence in STEM Grand Challenges program.
Readings:
- Marine Biology: Function, Biodiversity, Ecology. Levinton, Jeffrey, 2021. Selected chapters.
- Selected articles from the research literature, popular science publications, and news sources, for example: Sala et al. 2021. Protecting the global ocean for biodiversity, food and climate. Nature volume 592, pages 397–402 (2021)
Course Structure:
The course consists of three modules. The Fundamentals module will utilize lectures, student presentations, and discussions to build core knowledge of underlying biological and oceanographic processes. The Applications module will utilize case studies, group work, and student discussion to develop an understanding of how human/ocean interactions lead to climate change impacts. The Hot Topics module will employ student research projects and science communication to explore ocean-based solutions to climate change impacts.
Expectations of the Students
This course is aims to help everyone in the room build core knowledge and skills to engage in informed discussions about oceans, the impacts of climate change, and possible solutions. To achieve this, each student should support each other’s learning as well as their own. Students are expected to have completed the course readings or other preparatory work prior to class, so that class sessions can expand on an initial understanding of the topics. Students should actively engage with in-class work and discussions, work collaboratively in groups, and conduct significant out-of-class work. The aim is to establish an environment where we are actively learning from each other as well as from the material we engage with.
Evaluation:
Each module employs a different mode of assessment of student work. The Fundamentals module will employ in-class worksheets, out-of-class problem sets, and student-led presentations to assess student understanding of core concepts and processes and their interconnections. The Applications module will utilize case studies, group discussion, and field studies reflections to evaluate critical analysis and communication skills. The Hot Topics module will consist of a final research project presentation and an educational or outreach product to assess students’ research and scientific communication skills.
10 In-class worksheets and discussions
20 Fundamentals of Marine Science problem sets (2)
20 Topics in Ocean Ecosystems presentations (2)
20 Human/Ocean Interactions case studies (2)
10 Field Studies reflections and applications (2)
20 Hot Topic in Ocean Ecosystems final project (1)
100
Academic Regulations
Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on:
DIS Accommodations Statement
Your learning experience in this class is important to me. If you have approved academic accommodations with DIS, please make sure I receive your DIS accommodations letter within two weeks from the start of classes. If you can think of other ways I can support your learning, please don't hesitate to talk to me. If you have any further questions about your academic accommodations, contact Academic Support acadsupp@dis.dk.
DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org
Course Summary:
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