Unit of Study MRNE2010 Oceanography (2025)

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Unit Snapshot

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit
Credit points

12
Faculty & College

Faculty of Science and Engineering
Placement

No

Unit description

The ocean as we know it is the result of physical, chemical and biological processes working in concert. This unit introduces students to the fundamental concepts of oceanography, being physical (ocean currents, circulation and waves), chemical (major and minor ions in seawater) and biological in nature (the planktonic realm). A major emphasis will be on fostering an understanding of how the three interact to drive processes of global significance leading to essential ecosystem service provisions of various kinds (e.g. food/harvest and climate regulation). p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120% }

Unit content

1) Oceans, sub-fields of oceanography (chemical, physical, biological and geological), and seawater

2) Macro and micronutrients in the ocean

3) Carbon and nutrient budgets, ocean boundaries, oxygen minimum zones and conceptual models

4) Waves, tides and estuarine circulation

5) Primary production in the oceans

6) Ocean acidification, the marine carbon cycle and the marine carbon pump

Availabilities

Location	Domestic	International
National Marine Science Centre Coffs Harbour	Term3	Term3
Online	Term3	N/A

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

demonstrate enhanced understanding of the nature and drivers of major ocean current systems, and their significance in Earth's climate system

explain the behavior of major and minor ion composition in seawater and their interaction with geological and biological cycles.

describe the contributors to marine primary productivity and analyse the relationship between phytoplankton, zooplankton, nekton and bacteria.

demonstrate a clear understanding of the interactions of physics, chemistry and biology in shaping the ocean.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching method

Workshop 1 hour (Weekly)

Tutorial 2 hours (Weekly)

Assessment
Presentation	25%
Report	50%
Quiz	25%

Teaching method

Workshop 1 hour (Weekly)

Tutorial 2 hours (Weekly)

Assessment
Presentation	25%
Report	50%
Quiz	25%

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts

Prescribed text information is not currently available.

Prescribed Resources/Equipment

Prescribed resources/equipment information is not currently available.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.

Fee information

Domestic

Commonwealth Supported courses
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Fee paying courses
For postgraduate or undergraduate full-fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees.

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