Oceanography
Department Overview
The Oceanography Department houses faculty and students who study the marine environment through interdisciplinary ocean systems science that encompasses physical, chemical, biological, geological, and fisheries oceanography. Research programs are based on new observations, time-series studies and modeling. Our research includes exploration of the Arctic Ocean, the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska; ocean circulation patterns and their relationship to ocean-atmosphere-sea ice interactions; dynamics of internal waves; trophic (food web) dynamics and associated biogeochemistry; and a range of studies linking climate variation to the marine ecosystem.
Oceanography faculty and students conduct wide-ranging field research focused on high latitudes, not only in the Alaska region and the Arctic but also in the Antarctic/Southern Ocean, Greenland, the North Pacific, and elsewhere.
The Oceanography program offers graduate degrees at the M.S. and Ph.D. levels, and our faculty teach courses in the B.S. Fisheries and Marine Sciences and the undergraduate Minor in Marine Science.
B.S., Fisheries and Marine Science
The undergraduate program in the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences offers students a broad education and training in fisheries biology, ecology, marine biology, oceanography, and related fields. In addition to rigorous scientific coursework, students engage in internships or research projects with professionals from various organizations, including local, state, federal, tribal, university, and private sectors.
The B.S. degree in fisheries and marine sciences prepares graduates for careers as professionals in fisheries and aquatic management, research, conservation, education, policy, and industry organizations. Typically, graduates secure employment with governmental agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and academic institutions, both in Alaska and throughout North America. The program also provides a solid foundation for pursuing related graduate studies that will enable entry into careers in advanced research, management, administration, and teaching roles.
The undergraduate program is administered through the Troth Yeddha' Campus in Fairbanks, and all fisheries and marine sciences courses (excluding field courses) are offered via distance education to accommodate students in outlying areas.
Minimum Requirements for Fisheries and Marine Sciences Bachelor's Degrees: 121 credits
Learn more about the bachelor’s degree in fisheries and marine sciences, including an overview of the program, career opportunities, and more.
M.S., Ph.D., Oceanography
The M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are offered in several concentration areas of oceanography: physical, chemical, biological, geological and fisheries oceanography.
Oceanography is both interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary. The M.S. and Ph.D. degrees emphasize processes that influence the ocean as a system, including its circulation, composition, biological productivity and geology. Students considering graduate study in oceanography should have a strong background in physics, chemistry, biology, geology or mathematics and a working familiarity with the other subjects.
Opportunities for laboratory and fieldwork are available through the Institute of Marine Science, the research unit of the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. Research facilities are located in Fairbanks, the Seward Marine Center, the Kasitsna Bay Laboratory and Juneau. Facilities include the Ocean Acidification Research Center, the Alaska Stable Isotope Facility, seaside laboratories with running seawater systems, small boats, autonomous undersea vehicles and a variety of instrumentation for research in water circulation, marine particle dynamics, nutrient and trace metal chemistry, genomics, zooplankton ecology and other fields. The College operates the R/V Sikuliaq, a 261-foot ice-capable oceanographic research ship owned by the National Science Foundation. Oceanography faculty and students are regular users of Sikuliaq and other ships for high-latitude research, not only in the Alaska region and the Arctic but also in the Antarctic/Southern Ocean, Greenland, the North Pacific and elsewhere.
Minimum Requirements for Oceanography Degrees: M.S.: 30 credits; Ph.D.: 18 thesis credits
Courses
Oceanography (OCN)
OCN F102 Fact or Fishin': Case Studies in Fisheries and Marine Sciences
1 Credit
Offered Fall
This seminar will promote active learning, critical thinking and problem-solving through a series of case studies involving current issues in fisheries and marine sciences conservation and management. Students enrolled in this course will also receive instruction on fundamental skills required to successfully complete a four-year degree at UAF.
Cross-listed with FISH F102; MBI F102.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 1.5 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F103 The Harvest of the Sea
2 Credits
Offered Spring
This course will explore the scientific and popular literature related to the exploitation of global marine resources. Specific topics of the course will be based on three core themes: (1) early exploitation of marine resources; (2) overexploitation of marine stocks; and (3) the status and sustainability of marine resources.
Prerequisites: FISH F102; FISH F110; placement in WRTG F111X.
Cross-listed with FISH F103; MBI F103.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 2 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F111L The Oceans Laboratory
0 Credit
Offered Fall, Spring and Summer
Provides laboratory experience emphasizing insights from biology, physics, chemistry and geology. Topics include the evolution of the ocean basins, seawater composition, generation of ocean currents and waves, and the combined processes that sustain life in the ocean. Societal topics related to climate change.
Co-requisites: MBI F111X or OCN F111X.
Cross-listed with MBI F111L.
Attributes: UAF GER Natural Science Req
Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Non-Graded
OCN F111X The Oceans (n)
4 Credits
Offered Fall, Spring and Summer
Broad study of our ocean through combining insights from biology, physics, chemistry and geology. Topics include evolution of the ocean basins, seawater composition, generation of ocean currents and waves, and the combined processes that sustain life in the ocean. Societal topics related to climate change, fisheries and pollution are discussed.
Prerequisites: Placement in WRTG F111X; placement in MATH F105.
Co-requisites: MBI F111L or OCN F111L.
Cross-listed with MBI F111X.
Attributes: UAF GER Natural Science Req
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 3 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F211 Introduction to Marine Science I
3 Credits
Offered Fall
This course introduces students to the geology, chemistry and physics of the ocean and the roles of the hydrosphere, cryosphere and atmosphere in the climate system.
Prerequisites: MATH F151X (may be taken concurrently).
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F303 Data Analysis and Writing for Aquatic Sciences
3 Credits
Offered Fall
In this course, students will develop skills in basic data analysis, scientific writing and interpretation of published research. This course will utilize public data sets and peer-reviewed scientific writing samples drawn from the fields of fisheries, marine sciences and limnology that address an important question in aquatic science.
Prerequisites: STAT F200X, OCN F211, MBI F212.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F315 Marine Geological Drama and Undersea Catastrophes
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Case studies of geological events that disrupt the ocean environment as an introduction to geological oceanography. Geological concepts are covered as part of the background and context for each one. The case studies include everyday geological drama, sudden catastrophes, and slow-motion catastrophes on a geologic time scale.
Prerequisites: OCN F111X or OCN F211.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F419 Concepts in Physical Oceanography
3 Credits
Offered Fall Even-numbered Years
This course establishes the physical concepts that drive ocean motion on our rotating earth including the roles of the Coriolis force, ocean stratification, wind driven and thermohaline circulation, tides and why the major ocean gyres exist.
Prerequisites: MATH F251X or PHYS F211X.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F425 Subarctic Oceanography Field Course
3 Credits
Offered Fall
This two-week intensive course provides students with skills and techniques for modern oceanographic investigation. Students develop, carry out and present their own field program conducted within fjords surrounding Seward, Alaska. An additional course fee covers ship time, lodging and meals in Seward. Fairbanks-to-Seward return travel costs are covered by students.
Prerequisites: OCN F211; MBI F212.
Stacked with OCN F625.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 11 + 20 + 17
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F433 Integrative Oceanography
1 Credit
Offered Fall
This course is designed to stimulate discussions that span the core oceanography disciplines (biology, chemistry, geology and physics) and to improve understanding of the inter-relationships among them. When taken at the graduate level, students will take turns choosing synthetic publications and leading discussions.
Prerequisites: MBI F212; OCN F211; at least one OCN F400-level course.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 2 times for up to 2 credits
OCN F443 Fisheries Oceanography
4 Credits
Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years
Oceanography of marine processes affecting vertebrates and invertebrates. Interactions between fisheries resources and physical and biological oceanography, and climatological and meteorological conditions that support sustainable management. Topics include recruitment, transport, mortality, feeding, distribution, abundance, El Nino/La Nina, regime shifts, and climate change. Global to local scales. Worldwide ecosystems and examples.
Prerequisites: FISH F110 or FISH F288; STAT F200X, OCN F111X, or CHEM F105X; PHYS F123X.
Cross-listed with FISH F443.
Stacked with OCN F643, FISH F643.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 4 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F450 Biological Oceanography
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Survey of biological processes emphasizing organic matter synthesis and transfer including topics essential to a basic understanding of contemporary biological oceanography.
Prerequisites: MBI F212 for undergraduate students; upper division standing in a science major.
Stacked with OCN F650.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F453 Zooplankton Ecology
3 Credits
Offered Fall Even-numbered Years
Survey of marine zooplankton and processes that influence their production and dynamics. Emphasis is placed upon zooplankton communities of northeast Pacific and Arctic oceans. Field and lab methodology reviewed include fixing, preserving, subsampling, identifying and quantifying zooplankton collections. Reviewed laboratory techniques cover culture of zooplankton, including physiological measurements of parameters.
Prerequisites: MBI F212; OCN F211; OCN F450.
Stacked with OCN F653.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F455 Phytoplankton and Marine Microbes
3 Credits
Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
An in-depth exploration of microbial life in the marine environment focusing on phytoplankton, microzooplankton, bacteria and archaea. Students will learn the importance of marine microbes, including their impacts on fisheries and biogeochemical cycles. Topics include harmful algal blooms and the impacts of climate change on marine microbial communities.
Prerequisites: MBI F212.
Stacked with OCN F655.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F459 Computer Programming for Scientific Applications
3 Credits
Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
Introduction to scientific programming techniques and applications. This MATLAB-based course will cover programming fundamentals, input/output operations, and mapping and other data visualization techniques. Students will work with NetCDF and OpenDAP protocols and remote large-volume data repositories. No prior programming experience required.
Prerequisites: Senior or graduate level standing.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F460 Chemical Oceanography
3 Credits
Offered Spring
An integrated study of the chemical, biological, geological and physical processes that control the chemical composition of seawater. Boundary interactions with the atmosphere and lithosphere, biogeochemical cycles and tracers of these complex cycles are examined. The marine chemistry of inorganic carbon is considered in detail.
Prerequisites: BIOL F116X; CHEM F106X; upper-division standing.
Stacked with CHEM F660; OCN F660.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F463 Chemical Coastal Processes
3 Credits
Offered Spring Even-numbered Years
A study of chemical processes in the coastal ocean, including interactions at boundaries, and physical and biological controls on the chemistry of coastal environments. Key topics include riverine input, coastal acidification, photochemistry, coastal productivity and challenges in coastal management. Intended for students with general chemistry and marine science backgrounds.
Prerequisites: CHEM F105X; CHEM F106X; OCN F111X or (OCN F211; MBI F212); upper-division standing.
Stacked with OCN F663.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F481 The Ocean and Global Change
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Explores how human activities are affecting Earth's oceans. Topics include climate change, sea-level rise, coastal erosion, declining sea ice, shifting ecosystems, ocean acidification, pollution and various mitigation proposals. The course will investigate the causes and effects of these changes and consider the challenges and opportunities that arise from them.
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing.
Stacked with OCN F681.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F492 Seminar
1-6 Credits
Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 99 credits
OCN F498 Research
1-6 Credits
Lecture + Lab + Other: 1-6 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 99 credits
OCN F499 Senior Thesis
3 Credits
Under Oceanography faculty mentorship, students will undertake a self-designed senior thesis capstone project based on field/lab data collected during a field course or work with their mentor. They must present results at a UAF event or scientific conference and are encouraged to publish in a peer-reviewed journal.
Prerequisites: Permission of a fisheries and ocean sciences faculty mentor.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 9
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 2 times for up to 6 credits
OCN F620 Physical Oceanography
4 Credits
Offered Fall
Physical description of the sea, physical properties of seawater, methods and measurements, boundary processes, currents, tides and waves, and regional oceanography.
Prerequisites: MATH F253X; PHYS F123X or PHYS F211X; science or engineering degree.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 3 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F625 Subarctic Oceanography Field Course
3 Credits
Offered Fall
This two-week intensive course provides students with skills and techniques for modern oceanographic investigation. Students develop, carry out and present their own field program conducted within fjords surrounding Seward, Alaska. An additional course fee covers ship time, lodging and meals in Seward. Fairbanks-to-Seward return travel costs are covered by students.
Stacked with OCN F425.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 11 + 20 + 17
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F627 Statistical Computing with R
2 Credits
Offered Fall
Using the free, open-source software R to teach computing, programming, and modeling concepts for the statistical computing of fisheries and biological data. Prepares students for other graduate-level, quantitative fisheries courses and covers exploratory statistical and graphical analyses, as well as computer-intensive methods such as bootstrapping and randomization tests.
Prerequisites: STAT F200X; STAT F401; proficiency with Excel.
Cross-listed with FISH F627; MBI F627.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 3 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F630 Geological Oceanography
3 Credits
Offered Spring
Topography and structure of the ocean floor. Theory of plate tectonics. Geology of ocean basins, continental slope, shelf and coastal environments. Major sediment types and distributions. Sediment transport and deposition. Interaction between seawater, rock, and sediment. Paleoceanography. Upper-division standing are invited to contact the instructor.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F631 Data Analysis in Community Ecology
3 Credits
Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
This course will provide an overview of statistical methods that have been specifically developed to aid our understanding and interpretation of the structure, abundance, and distribution of species and communities in relation to resources and the environment.
Prerequisites: STAT F200X; STAT F401; FISH F627 (Statistical Computing with R) or familiarity with R, general ecology, graduate standing in fisheries.
Cross-listed with FISH F631; MBI F631.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F633 Integrative Oceanography
1 Credit
Offered Fall
This course is designed to stimulate discussions that span the core oceanography disciplines (biology, chemistry, geology and physics) and to improve understanding of the inter-relationships among them. When taken at the graduate level, students will take turns choosing synthetic publications and leading discussions.
Prerequisites: OCN F620; OCN F630; OCN F650; OCN F660; graduate standing.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 1 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken 2 times for up to 2 credits
OCN F643 Fisheries Oceanography
4 Credits
Offered Fall Odd-numbered Years
Oceanography of marine processes affecting vertebrates and invertebrates. Interactions between fisheries resources and physical and biological oceanography, and climatological and meteorological conditions that support sustainable management. Topics include recruitment, transport, mortality, feeding, distribution, abundance, El Nino/La Nina, regime shifts, and climate change. Global to local scales. Worldwide ecosystems and examples.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Cross-listed with FISH F643.
Stacked with OCN F443, FISH F443.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 4 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F650 Biological Oceanography
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Survey of biological processes emphasizing organic matter synthesis and transfer including topics essential to a basic understanding of contemporary biological oceanography.
Prerequisites: Upper-division standing in a science major.
Stacked with MBI F450.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F653 Zooplankton Ecology
3 Credits
Offered Fall Even-numbered Years
Survey of marine zooplankton and processes that influence their production and dynamics. Emphasis is placed upon zooplankton communities of northeast Pacific and Arctic oceans. Field and lab methodology reviewed include fixing, preserving, subsampling, identifying and quantifying zooplankton collections. Reviewed laboratory techniques cover culture of zooplankton, including physiological measurements of parameters.
Stacked with OCN F453.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F655 Phytoplankton and Marine Microbes
3 Credits
Offered Spring Odd-numbered Years
An in-depth exploration of microbial life in the marine environment focusing on phytoplankton, microzooplankton, bacteria and archaea. Students will learn the importance of marine microbes, including their impacts on fisheries and biogeochemical cycles. Topics include harmful algal blooms and the impacts of climate change on marine microbial communities.
Stacked with OCN F455.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F660 Chemical Oceanography
3 Credits
Offered Spring
An integrated study of the chemical, biological, geological and physical processes that control the chemical composition of seawater. Boundary interactions with the atmosphere and lithosphere, biogeochemical cycles and tracers of these complex cycles are examined. The marine chemistry of inorganic carbon is considered in detail.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Cross-listed with CHEM F660.
Stacked with OCN F460.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F663 Chemical Coastal Processes
3 Credits
Offered Spring Even-numbered Years
A study of chemical processes in the coastal ocean, including interactions at boundaries, and physical and biological controls on the chemistry of coastal environments. Key topics include riverine input, coastal acidification, photochemistry, coastal productivity and challenges in coastal management. Intended for students with general chemistry and marine science backgrounds.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing.
Stacked with OCN F463.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F677 Scientific Writing Techniques
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
This class takes a comprehensive approach to learning to write for scientific audiences with skill and clarity. Writing a manuscript or grant proposal is approached in sections, which are revised throughout the semester in response to reviews from classmates. Topics include writing approaches, storytelling, style, grammar, punctuation and editorial review.
Prerequisites: Graduate standing or permission of instructor.
Cross-listed with FISH F677.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades
OCN F681 The Ocean and Global Change
3 Credits
Offered Fall
Explores how human activities are affecting Earth's oceans. Topics include climate change, sea-level rise, coastal erosion, declining sea ice, shifting ecosystems, ocean acidification, pollution and various mitigation proposals. The course will investigate the causes and effects of these changes and consider the challenges and opportunities that arise from them.
Stacked with OCN F481.
Lecture + Lab + Other: 3 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
OCN F692 Seminar
1-6 Credits
Lecture + Lab + Other: 1-6 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Letter Grades with option of Plus/Minus
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 99 credits
OCN F692P Seminar
1-6 Credits
Lecture + Lab + Other: 1-6 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 99 credits
OCN F698 Non-thesis Research/Project
1-9 Credits
Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 99 credits
OCN F699 Thesis
1-12 Credits
Lecture + Lab + Other: 0 + 0 + 0
Grading System: Pass/Fail Grades
Repeatable for Credit: May be taken unlimited times for up to 99 credits
Faculty
Ana Aguilar-Islas
Associate Dean of Academic Programs
Associate Professor
Oceanographyamaguilarislas@alaska.edu
Fairbanks
Seth Danielson
Associate Professor
Oceanographysldanielson@alaska.edu
Fairbanks
Gwenn Hennon
Assistant Professor
Oceanographygmhennon@alaska.edu
Fairbanks
Russell Hopcroft
Chair, Department of Oceanography
Professor
Oceanographyrrhopcroft@alaska.edu
Fairbanks
Mark Johnson
Professor
Oceanographymajohnson@alaska.edu
Fairbanks
S. Bradley Moran
Dean
Oceanographysbmoran@alaska.edu
Fairbanks
Jennifer Reynolds
Associate Dean for Research
Director, Institute of Marine Science
Director, Coastal Marine Institute
Associate Professor
Oceanographyjrreynolds@alaska.edu
Fairbanks
