Foundations of Ocean Science

This unit introduces the physical, chemical, and biological foundations of the ocean, including its zones, seafloor structure, and key habitats. Students examine representative marine organisms, the ocean’s role in climate and ecosystem services, and human interactions—laws, resource use, and indicators of ocean health—to build core knowledge for applied study in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze major physical and chemical properties of the ocean (salinity, temperature, density, circulation, waves, and plate tectonics) and explain how these factors determine horizontal and vertical zonation and influence regional climate and weather patterns.
• Classify representative marine organisms across major taxonomic groups (microbes, algae, porifera, cnidarians, mollusks, crustaceans, agnatha, fishes, reptiles, birds, and mammals) and compare their key adaptations to specific habitats such as shorelines, kelp forests, mangroves, and open water.
• Demonstrate how ocean ecosystems provide critical services (oxygen production, seafood supply, climate regulation, shoreline protection) and evaluate indicators of ocean health and human impacts including sea-level rise, melting ice, carbon footprint, and fisheries pressure.
• Apply scientific and governance frameworks by interpreting simple seafloor and oceanographic data and summarizing the two systems of law that govern the seas to propose basic stewardship actions and monitoring approaches for local marine resources.