OCEA 4140

Biological Oceanography

Lec 01 selected

The goal is to describe how physical, chemical and biological processes interact to determine the species composition, biogeochemical activities, and trophic structure of marine communities. Outstanding problems currently facing biological oceanographers and earth systems scientists are discussed, as are current attempts and methodologies to address them.

Sections

Lecture

From the syllabus

From the Winter 2026 syllabus by Christopher Algar and Elise Poirier. Open the PDF

Grading

5%Weekly quizzesWeekly; none during midterm week
20%MidtermFeb 26
30%Final examScheduled by registrar
15%Assignment 1Feb 10
15%Assignment 2March 31
15%Research proposalApril 8

Textbook

  • Biological Oceanography, 2nd Edition, C. Millar and P.A. Wheeler

Course rules

Late work
Assignments lose 5% per day late.
Missed work
Contact the instructor before the due date and submit a Student Absence Declaration; extensions are not automatic.
Submission
Upload assignments to Brightspace as PDFs named with the assignment number and your name.
Generative AI
Disclose AI use and include an appendix listing prompts used to generate content, including citations.
Field trips
Optional; attending at least one Bedford Basin field trip earns one bonus point on the final mark.

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