Prof. Gabrielle Rocap                                
Office Hours: By appointment                      
Office : Benjamin Hall IRB, room 318       
Phone: (206) 685-9994                                
Email : rocap{AT}ocean.washington.edu   

Colleen Kellogg (Teaching Assistant)
Office Hours:  By appointment
Office : MSB 364
Phone : (206) 543-0147
Email :  ctebean{AT}u.washington.edu

Monday & Wednesday 12:30-1:30 OTB 205

Thursdays 12:30-2:30 OTB 205, unless otherwise noted

Quiz Sessions: Tuesday 12:30-1:30 in OTB 205

Biological oceanography is the study of marine organisms, their quantitative distribution in time and space and their interactions with the ocean.  In the first few weeks of this course, we will explore the different size and functional classes of organisms that dwell in the upper reaches of the ocean, with an emphasis on the dominant forms of phytoplankton, viruses, bacterioplankton and archaeoplankton, and their grazers, the zooplankton.  We will examine factors controlling the distribution and abundance of marine organisms, and analyze some interactions of organisms with each other and with their environment.  In the latter half of the course, we will explore the benthos and greater depths of the ocean, with an emphasis on extreme environments.  We will also examine the potential influence of climate change and other perturbations on different oceanic ecosystems, with an emphasis on the coastal ocean.

The best-prepared students for this course will have backgrounds in the physics and chemistry of the ocean (OCEAN 210 is required) and the fundamentals of biology (BIOL 162 or 200 is required). Contact the instructors to discuss taking the course if your background coursework does not include these requirements; alternatives such as OCN 200, OCN 250 or BIOL 180 may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.