OCG106G: You, Me, and Life in the Sea
The Ocean makes life on Earth possible. For millennia, humans have developed a rich, complex relationship with life in the Sea. This course uses classic and current case studies to explore human-marine organism interactions, both positive and negative, across diverse disciplines and perspectives, including: Microbes and Ecosystem Health, Phytoplankton Blooms, Ocean Exploration, Marine Debris/Plastics, Biopollutants, Fisheries/Aquaculture, Marine Conservation, Biotechnology and Bioprospecting, and Climate Change. Our goals in this class are two-fold: 1) to explore the causes and consequences of the diverse and complex relationships between humans and life in the sea, and 2) to develop skills in literature research and communication to promote skills in science education. We will accomplish these goals through lectures, in class active learning modules, and a semester-long group writing/presentation project). High school biology and chemistry courses are strongly recommended prior to taking this course.