Marine Biodiversity and Processes

This unit explores major marine taxa, their adaptations, and ecological roles alongside key physical ocean processes and human interactions. It builds on foundational concepts to evaluate resource production, conservation strategies, and emerging technologies and policies that affect ocean health.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze anatomical, physiological, and life-history adaptations across major marine taxa (e.g., mollusks, crustaceans, fishes, marine reptiles, birds, and mammals) and classify organisms by ecological role and habitat
• Evaluate physical oceanographic processes (including upwelling, downwelling, thermal venting, and the global conveyor belt) and interpret their effects on primary productivity, species distributions, and fisheries dynamics
• Apply principles of sustainable resource use and conservation (including aquaculture practices, desalination, pollution reduction, and jurisdictional management) to develop management recommendations that address seafood production and habitat protection
• Demonstrate the ability to assess and synthesize climate change impacts, pollution threats (e.g., plastics), and emerging research/technology approaches (underwater stations, monitoring techniques) to propose evidence-based monitoring, mitigation, and policy actions