EMT326

Oceanography

Sciences
300 level
2 credit units
113 pages
12 units

This course introduces the fundamental principles of oceanography, exploring its history, the origin of oceans, and the composition of seawater. It examines ocean stratification, climatic regions, and the dynamics of ocean motion, including waves, tides, and currents. Further, the course delves into organic production, energy transfers, and the factors regulating marine life. It also covers biogeochemical cycles, the physics and chemistry of the ocean, oceanographic surveying techniques, and data management, providing a comprehensive understanding of ocean systems.

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About this course

Difficulty: Intermediate
Study hours: 208 hours
Maths: Basic
Content: Theoretical, practical, case study
Practical work: Yes

Before you start

Basic Biology
Basic Chemistry
Introductory Environmental Science

How it is assessed

Assignments
Tutor Marked Assignments
Final Examination

What you'll read

The real module and unit structure of EMT326, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.

Module 1

One paragraph, so you can see how it reads

EMT326 · UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION TO OCEANOGRAPHY

Oceanography derives its name from the mapping of ocean boundaries and the delineation of ocean currents. Because of the importance of shipping and ocean travels, mapping of the ocean margin was an important part of early explorations.

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What you should be able to do

Explain the origin and composition of the ocean.
Describe the layers and climatic regions of the ocean.
Differentiate between sea waves, tides, and currents.
Understand organic production and energy transfers in the sea.
Explain biogeochemical cycles and their importance.
Apply oceanographic surveying techniques and data management.

What it prepares you for

Careers

Marine Biologist
Oceanographer
Environmental Consultant
Fisheries Manager
Conservation Officer

Where it is applied

Environmental Monitoring
Fisheries
Oil and Gas
Marine Conservation
Research

Tools

Seechi Disc
Echo Sounder
GPS
GIS

Where it gets hard

The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.

Module 2: Ocean Dynamics and Resources
Unit 4: The Ocean in Motion
Understanding the complex interactions between wind speed, wind duration, and fetch requires strong analytical skills.
Module 3: Ocean Chemistry and Surveying
Unit 8: Biogeochemical Cycles
Requires understanding of complex chemical reactions and their impact on marine life.

A suggested way through it

Suggested

13 weeks, about 49 hours in total. Yours will differ.

Week 1Module 1: Introduction to Oceanography
- Unit 1: Introduction to Oceanography · 3 hours
  Read Unit 1: Understand the definition and scope of oceanography.. Explore the history of oceanographic studies and key figures.. Examine the origin of the ocean and the composition of seawater..
Week 2Module 1: Introduction to Oceanography
- Unit 2: Ocean Stratification · 3 hours
  Study the different layers of the open ocean.. Analyze the ocean surface conditions and their variations.. Investigate the interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere..
Week 3Module 1: Introduction to Oceanography
- Unit 3: Climatic Regions of the Ocean · 3 hours
  Learn about the climatic regions of the ocean based on temperature, salinity, evaporation, and precipitation.. Understand the phenomenon of ice formation in the sea, including polar cap, pack ice, fast ice, and icebergs..
Week 4Module 2: Ocean Dynamics and Resources
- Unit 4: The Ocean in Motion · 4 hours
  Differentiate between sea waves, ocean tides, and ocean currents.. Explain the factors influencing the formation of waves, tides, and currents.. Study the different types of currents under the Gyral system..
Week 5Module 2: Ocean Dynamics and Resources
- Unit 5: Organic Production in the Sea · 4 hours
  Understand the process of photosynthesis in the ocean.. Learn about the different trophic levels in the ocean.. Explain the methods of measurement of primary production in the sea..
Week 6Module 2: Ocean Dynamics and Resources
- Unit 6: Energy Transfers and Pyramids in the Sea · 4 hours
  Understand the process of energy production and accumulation in the sea.. Explain the various modes of energy transfer pathways in the sea.. Understand the different ecological pyramids..
Week 7Module 3: Ocean Chemistry and Surveying
- Unit 7: Factors Regulating Production in the Sea · 4 hours
  Understand the factors responsible for the regulation of production in the sea, including light, temperature, and nutrients.. Learn about organic production in different geographical zones of the sea..
Week 8Module 3: Ocean Chemistry and Surveying
- Unit 8: Biogeochemical Cycles · 4 hours
  Understand the various biogeochemical cycles operating to maintain atmospheric and ecosystem balance.. Learn about the concepts of budget associated with every cycle.. Distinguish between static budgets and dynamic budgets..
Week 9Module 3: Ocean Chemistry and Surveying
- Unit 9: Physics and Chemistry of the Ocean · 4 hours
  Understand the color of an object as a result of the absorption of wavelength.. Understand the importance of light to the marine environment.. Understand the presence or absence of other physical parameters to the chemistry of the ocean..
Week 10Module 4: Ocean Resources and Data Management
- Unit 10: Oceanographic Surveying Techniques · 4 hours
  Understand the various oceanographic survey techniques.. Learn about the various methods of ecological survey.. Explore navigation systems such as GPS and speed logging systems..
Week 11Module 4: Ocean Resources and Data Management
- Unit 11: Management of Data · 4 hours
  Understand the various methods used to conserve data received from the field.. Learn about data and information management techniques, including simple tabulation, matrices, and GIS.. Explore community structure indices..
Week 12Module 4: Ocean Resources and Data Management
- Unit 12: Marine Resources · 4 hours
  Understand the various types of ocean resources, including renewable and non-renewable resources.. Learn about the state of resources found in the ocean, such as food, aquaculture, and mineral resources.. Understand the importance of the minerals from the Sub-Sea beds to humans..
Week 13Module 4: Ocean Resources and Data Management
- Final Revision · 4 hours
  Review all units.. Work on assignments.. Prepare for final examinations..

Preparing for the exam

What to do

Create concept maps linking Units 5-7 on organic production and energy transfer.
Practice solving numerical problems from Units 4 and 9 on ocean motion and chemistry.
Review all Tutor Marked Assignments (TMAs) and focus on areas where you had difficulty.
Form study groups to discuss complex topics like biogeochemical cycles (Unit 8).
Allocate specific time slots for each unit and stick to the recommended study schedule.
Focus on understanding the key terms and definitions from each unit.

Questions students ask about this course

What is EMT326 about?

How many units does EMT326 have?

EMT326, Oceanography, has 12 units across 1 module, over 113 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.

How many credit units is EMT326?

EMT326 carries 2 credit units, at 300 level in Sciences.

Is EMT326 hard?

EMT326 is rated intermediate level, with basic mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical, practical and case study work, and it has a practical component.

How long does EMT326 take to study?

About 208 hours of study, spread across its 12 units.

How is EMT326 assessed?

EMT326 is assessed by Assignments, Tutor Marked Assignments and Final Examination.

What do I need before starting EMT326?

Basic Biology Basic Chemistry Introductory Environmental Science

What can I do with EMT326?

Marine Biologist, Oceanographer, Environmental Consultant, Fisheries Manager and Conservation Officer.