Marine Biodiversity and Ocean Processes

This unit examines the diversity, form, and function of marine life—from invertebrates and fishes to birds and marine mammals—alongside key physical and chemical ocean processes that shape ecosystems. Students will explore human interactions, technologies, and management issues (e.g., desalination, research stations, fisheries, pollution, and jurisdiction) and prepare to apply conservation and climate adaptation strategies in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze morphological and taxonomic characteristics of major marine organism groups (mollusks, crustaceans, cnidarians/ctenophores, fishes, reptiles, birds, and marine mammals) and classify examples using diagnostic features and life-history traits.
• Evaluate ecological roles and interdependencies of organisms and processes (upwelling/downwelling, global conveyor belt, seagrass beds, plankton–microbe interactions, sediment dynamics) and determine their effects on primary productivity and food-web structure.
• Apply scientific and technological methods to investigate and manage marine resources by designing basic approaches for underwater research, desalination, aquaculture/seafood production, and by recommending jurisdictional or policy responses to resource-use conflicts and pollution.
• Demonstrate understanding of human and climate impacts on ocean systems by analyzing case studies (plastic pollution, toxic species like fugu, shifting currents, and habitat loss) and proposing evidence-based mitigation or adaptation strategies.