COURSE OBJECTIVES:
This course is designed to introduce the chemistry of the oceans to beginning graduate-level students, and will cover the chemical composition of seawater, distributions of chemical species in the oceans, processes which add, cycle, and remove chemicals in the sea, the chemistry of marine sediments, and the interactions among chemical, biological, geological, and physical processes affecting the oceans. The course is also appropriate for advanced undergraduates who enjoy and remember a good portion of general chemistry and graduate students interested in the chemistry of the oceans and other natural waters. This course will very quickly go far general chemistry - if you think you might need to brush up on your basic chemistry, I recommend that you acquire a freshman chemistry textbook and start reading through it to refresh your memory.
TOPICS COVERED
Organic matter production and destruction, primary productivity, redox chemistry, microbial metabolisms, nutrient distributions in the ocean, air-sea gas exchange, carbonate chemistry, the marine nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, marine sediments, as well as an introduction to Ocean Data View
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: AN INTRODUCTION TO MARINE BIOGEOCHEMISTRY (2nd edition), Susan M. Libes, ISBN: 9780120885305
COURSE OBJECTIVES: Students will gain an appreciation for the broad interdisciplinary nature of the study of Earth History, as we cover the origin of the universe to mass extinctions and human evolution. Students will also be able to apply this knowledge to demonstrate the critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are expected in an introductory science course at FSU.
TOPICS COVERED: The course will cover plate tectonics, evolution, and the evolution of the earth system through geologic time.
TEXTBOOKS: Earth System History, Stanley, ISBN-10: 1-4292-5526-9; ISBN-13: 978-1-4292-5526-4; Earth’s Climate: Past and Future, Ruddiman, ISBN-10: 1429255250 ISBN-13: 978-1429255257
COURSE OBJECTIVES: This course is designed to introduce students to the geochemical tools available to them to identify and quantify (i.e., “trace”) the biogeochemical processes of interest to them. Geochemical “tracers” are used to identify where and how fast different processes are occurring in the ocean based on the unique geochemical signature they leave on the substrates and/or products of particular biogeochemical processes. While the class focuses on biogeochemical processes in the marine environment, many of the geochemical tools are applicable to terrestrial environments, as well.
TOPICS COVERED: The course will focus on geochemical signatures of photosynthesis and respiration, nitrogen cycle processes including nutrient assimilation, denitrification, nitrification and nitrogen fixation. We will also evaluate tracers of nutrient limitation in the ocean and suboxic metabolisms, including sulfur cycling.
READINGS: No textbook is required, readings will be literature-based.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this course is to introduce students to computational tools, software, and professional skills useful for their degrees and careers. Seminars will focus on a single topic in an introductory capacity to include students of all computational backgrounds and fluency. Topics will include resources on campus to help with the learning of coding languages and programs, coding languages R, Python, and MATLAB, professional development tools, GIS, Adobe Illustrator, National Funding/Fellowship Opportunities, Professional Presentations, and job applications. Time will be given for each topic to share the possible applications of each tool, highlighting the reasons for learning the skill and how it can help students. Students will work to build a common resource library to support the learning goals of all enrolled.
STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES: • Introduction to key computer science languages currently used by researchers within the department • Learn how to use computational tools to help model and interpret data • Provide resources for further learning in frequently utilized software and computational tools • Position students so they can compete for jobs by providing confidence and competence in computational problem solving and professional development skills.
STUDENT EVALUATION: Students generated both a resource library by identifying useful free information online as well to learn skills in R, Python, MATLAB, and GIS, as well as recorded videos of themselves teaching skills they wanted to learn for the class.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: This is a second-level science course designed for students in a variety of majors. Students are expected to be familiar with the scientific method, with some earth science and biological science concepts, and to have an appreciation for the scientific approach to knowledge. It is offered as a foundation course for students in the Environmental Sciences degree program.
TOPICS COVERED: Global Change, Atmospheric and Ocean Circulation, The Greenhouse Effect, Nutrient Cycling, Origins of life on Earth, Recent and Future Climate Change
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK: The Earth System by Kump, Kastings and Crane, 3rd edition, Prentice Hall
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