Course Essentials

This course introduces the student to the geological, chemical, physical, and biological aspects of Earth’s ocean. 

Topics include how ocean basins are formed and destroyed through plate tectonics; the physiography of ocean basins and continental margins; the chemical and physical aspects of seawater; ocean-atmosphere interactions; ocean circulation; waves, tides, and shorelines; and human impacts on marine ecosystems, including climate change and pollution. Students interested in earning lab credit are encouraged to enroll in OCEANO 10. 

Student Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes are the goals you are aiming to achieve by the end of this course. Upon successful completion of this course, the Student Learning Outcomes state that you will be able to:   

1. explain how volcanic activity, weathering, sedimentation, and the motion of tectonic plates are responsible for the origin and character of Earth's ocean and features on the seafloor.


2. describe the major relationships involving the chemical composition of the ocean, the physical properties and movements of water in the ocean, and the abundance of life in the ocean.

3. describe some of the effects that human activity has on seawater chemistry and marine ecosystems, especially in coastal areas and in relation to global climate change.

Zero Textbook Cost (ZTC)

• There is no required textbook for this course. All course materials are distributed through Canvas free of charge. If you'd like to read more about the topics we cover, refer to the following free Open Education Resource (OER) textbooks: 

  • Oceanography 101 (Miracosta), shared under a Public Domain license.

  • Introduction to Oceanography by Paul Webb, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

• Relevant chapters for the OER textbooks are listed on the introduction page for each module.

📹 Webcam or Smartphone with Video Recorder

A webcam or Smartphone is required to record your introduction video as part of the mandatory course check-in. 

High-speed Internet Access

• All course materials are distributed through Canvas.

• Appropriate Internet access is required. Computer devices used to access this course must have audio and video streaming capabilities. They must have an up-to-date browser and operating system. This includes desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.

As a fully online class, you'll use the following skills:

• Basic computer skills such as word processing and file management, including uploading, downloading, saving, naming, copying, and organizing files and folders.

• Internet skills, including logging in, navigating Canvas, accessing course modules, using interactive tools like Google Earth, running online searches, and viewing external links within the course.

• Online communication skills such as reading and posting in Canvas discussions, sending and receiving messages, and following conversation threads. 

If you do not feel fully confident with these skills, do not worry. Pierce College offers many resources to help you build them.

Students often underestimate the amount of time an online course requires, so it is important to establish expectations from the beginning. Online courses follow the same state and college standards as face-to-face classes in determining the amount of required coursework each week.

Course content and assignments are organized into modules in Canvas. Each module typically takes about 4 to 5 hours to complete.

In addition to completing assignments, plan to spend several hours each week reviewing course materials, including reading course pages, watching embedded videos and animations, exploring interactive figures, taking notes, and studying.

Course pacing depends on the length of the session:

• During a 16-week term, you will typically complete 1 module per week.

• During an 8-week term, you will typically complete 2 modules per week.

• During a 5-week term, you will typically complete 3 modules per week.

I strongly encourage you to schedule regular times each week to work on coursework and stay engaged with the class.