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 made 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, with some emphasis on 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. Google Chrome is the recommended browser for Canvas.

As an online or hybrid class, you'll use the following skills:

1. Computer skills (word processing, software installation, and file management – upload, download, save, name, copy, move, backup, delete, and organize folders).

2. Internet skills (connect, access, and browse the learning management system, search engines, and library databases).

3. Online communication skills (read, search, create, send, receive, reply, follow threads, email, chat, message, and post).

Don't feel quite ready? Don't worry, there are lots of resources to help support you! 

Often students underestimate the amount of time an online course takes, so it's important to establish expectations at the very beginning. Online courses follow the same stringent guidelines set by the state and the college that face-to-face classes use to determine the required work that needs to be done each week. 

• Course content and assignments are organized into Modules in Canvas. Each module will take approximately 4 to 5 hours to complete. 

• On top of completing assignments, please budget a few hours each week to review course content materials, study for the quizzes, and work on your class project(s). 

• During a 16-week term, you will complete 1 module per week. During an 8-week term, you will complete 2 modules per week, and during a 5-week term, you will complete 3 modules per week. 

I strongly advise you to schedule specific times each week to work on your coursework.