Assistant Professor Position (Tenure Track) in Biological Oceanography/Marine Ecology
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Marine Sciences: Complete Course Listing
051 First Year Seminars (3). The seminars are designed to enable first-year students to work closely with top professors in classes that enroll twenty students or fewer. See the Registrar's Directory of Classes or go on-line to semester listings for specific offerings.
101 The Marine Environment (GEOL 103) (3). Introduction to natural science emphasizing physical, chemical, biological and geological phenomena in oceanic and coastal environments. Human use of, and impact on, marine resources. Open to undergraduate non-science majors (science majors see MASC 401). Fall and Spring. Bruno, Marko, Albert.
223 Coastal Geology of North America (GEOL 223)
(3). Prerequisite, Introductory Geology (GEOL 101, 103, 105, 159, 109,
or 111). Introduction to selected coastal regions and their evolution
over historic and geologic time. Case studies focus on impacts of
global change and human activity on estuaries, beaches, salt marshes,
and coral reefs. Lectures and field trip. A&S Physical Science
perspective.
401 Oceanography (BIOL 350, ENVR 417, GEOL 403) (3).
Prerequisites, major in a natural science or at least two college-level
courses in natural sciences. The origin of ocean basins, chemistry and
dynamics of seawater, biological communities and processes, the
sedimentary record, and the history of oceanography. Term paper.
Intended for students with college science background; other students
should see GEOL 103. Three lecture hours a week. Staff.
470 Estuarine and Coastal Marine Science (ENST 222)
(4). Prerequisites, Math 231 and either PHYS 104 or CHEM 101.
Introduction to estuarine and coastal environment: geomorphology,
physical circulation, nutrient loading, primary and secondary
production, carbon and nitrogen cycling, benthic processes, and
sedimentation. Consideration given to human impact on coastal systems
with emphasis on North Carolina estuaries and sounds. Includes a
mandatory weekend field trip and recitation. Fall. Alperin.
503 Geological Oceanography (GEOL 503) (4). Prerequisite, Geology 101 or 111, or permission. Ocean basin origin, continental margin development, coastal geology, carbonate platforms arid pelagic sediments are subjects covered; paleoceanographic reconstructions are emphasized. Three lecture and two laboratory hours a week. Fall. Wells.
504 Biological Oceanography (BIOL 657, ENVR 520) (4). Prerequisites, BIOL 201 or 475 or permission. Physical, chemical and biological factors characterizing estuarine and marine environments emphasizing factors controlling animal and plant populations, including methods of analysis, sampling, and identification. Four lecture hours per week plus field trips. Spring. Bruno, Marko.
505 Chemical Oceanography (GEOL 505) (4). Prerequisite, one semester of physical chemistry or CHEM 480, or permission of instructor. Variation and abundance of sea water constituents, the chemical, physical and biological processes contributing to their distribution as well as problems of dispersion of conservative and nonconservative substances. Three lecture and two recitation hours a week. Spring. Martens, Alperin. Arnosti.
506 Physical Oceanography (GEOL 506) (4). Prerequisites, Math 231, 232, PHYS 104, 105, or permission. Descriptive regional oceanography, equations of motion, the Ekman layer, wind-driven currents, thermohaline circulation modern observations. waves, tides. Four lecture hours a week. Fall. Bane, Seim.
705 How to Give a Seminar (1). Discussion of
methods and strategies for giving effective technical presentations.
Topics will include seminar structure, use of visual aids, personal and
professional presentation, and responding to questions.
706 Seminar in Oceanography (1). Discussion of
theories and research concerning ocean systems. Topics will stress the
interactions between physical, chemical, geological, and biological
processes in the sea. Separate sections will be offered at UNC-CH and
at the Institute of Marine Sciences, Morehead City. Fall and Spring.
Staff.
123 Marine Carbonate Environments (GEOL 434) (4).
Prerequisite, permission of instructor. Chemical and biological origins
of calcium carbonate, skeletal structure and chemomineralogy,
breakdown, preservation, sedimentation, and early diagenesis are
studied in a variety of deep and shallow environmental settings, in
order to understand skeletal genesis, limestone origin and carbonate
facies variability. Field trip to Florida, Bahamas, or Bermuda. Lab
exercises; research report. Three lecture and three laboratory hours a
week. Spring. Alternate years.
410 Earth Processes in Environmental Systems (ENST 410, GEOL 410) (4). Prerequisites, CHEM 102, GEOL 111 or 213, MATH 231, PHYS 105 or 117. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites. Principles of geological and related Earth systems sciences are applied to analyses of environmental phenomena. The link between the lithosphere and other environmental compartments is explored through case studies of environmental issues. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour a week.
411 Oceanic Processes in Environmental Systems (ENST 411, GEOL 411) (4). Prerequisites, BIOL 101, CHEM 102, ENST 222, MATH 231, PHYS 105 or 117. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisites. Principles of analysis of the ocean, coast, and estuarine environments and the processes that control these environments are applied to the analysis of environmental phenomena. Case studies of environmental issues. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour a week.
415 Environmental Systems Modeling (ENST 415, ENVR
461, GEOL 415) (3). Prerequiisites, MATH 383, PHYS 105 or PHYS 117 (may
be taken concurrently), or permission of instructor. Methods for
developing explanatory and predictive models of environmental processes
are explored. Includes discussion of the relevant scientific modes of
analysis, mathematical methods, computational issues and visualization
techniques. Two lecture hours and one computer lab hour a week. Spring.
Rial, Scotti, Werner.
430 Coastal Sedimentary Environments (GEOL 430) (3).
Prerequisite, GEOL 56 or permission of instructor. . An introduction to
modern shallow-water classic environments and their sediments,
emphasizing barrier islands, deltas, estuaries, wetlands, and tidal
flats. Includes local field trips and discussion/application of data
collecting techniques. Spring. Alternate years. Staff.
431 Micropaleontology (GEOL 431) (4). Prerequisite,
Invertebrate Paleontology 132, or Marine Ecology 440, or permission of
instructor. An in-depth study of the biostratigraphy, paleoecology, and
taxonomy of various microfossil groups (i.e., Foraminifera, ostracodes,
conodonts, coccoliths, Radiolaria, diatoms, acritarchs,
dinoflagellates, etc.) dependent upon individual student objectives.
Three lecture and three laboratory hours a week. On demand.
436 Coastal Processes (4) An interdisciplinary
description and analysis of environmental processes that form and
maintain coastal habitats. Coastal aspects of geology, fluid dynamics,
chemistry and biology are considered. Two lectures per week and two
coastal fieldtrips.
440 Marine Ecology (BIOL 462) (3). Prerequisites, BIOL
201 or 475. A survey of ecological and oceanographic processes
structuring marine communities in a broad range of habitats with an
emphasis on experimental approaches to addressing both basic and
applied problems in marine systems. Three lecture hours a week. Fall.
Alternate years. Bruno.
442 Marine Biology (BIOL 457) (3). Prerequisites, MASC 101 or BIOL 101. A survey of plants and animals that live in the sea: characteristics of marine habitats, organisms, and the ecosystems will be emphasized. Marine environment, the organisms involved, and the ecological systems that sustain them. Fall. Moran.
445 Marine Invertebrate Biology (BIOL 475) (4). Prerequisites, BIOL 101 and 101L and one additional course in biology. An introduction to the major animal phyla emphasizing form, function, behavior, ecology, evolution and classification of marine invertebrates. Three lecture and three laboratory hours per week. Spring. Lohmann, Podolsky.
448 Coastal and Estuarine Ecology (ENST 472) (4). Prerequisites, CHEM 102 and MATH 231. A field intensive study of the ecology of marine organisms and their interactions with their environment, including commercially important organisms. Laboratory/recitation/field work is included and contributes 2 credit hours to the course.
449 Ecology of Wetlands (ENVR 432) (4). Prerequisites, 1 year of biology, 1 year of chemistry, 1 semester of ecology, and permission of instructor. An introduction to the functioning of freshwater and estuarine marsh and swamp ecosystems, with emphasis on systems of the southeastern U.S. Fall. Staff.
450 Biogeochemical Processes in Environmental Systems (ENST 450, ENVR 415, GEOL 450) (3). Prerequisites, MATH 231; BIOL 101; CHEM 251 or 261; PHYS 105 or 117; GEOL 111 or GEOL 213; or permission of instructor. Principles of chemistry, biology and geology are applied to analysis of the fate and transport of materials in environmental systems, with an emphasis on those materials that form the most significant cycles. The course examines these processes in systems that contain the hydrosphere, lithosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. Three lecture hours and one lab hour a week. Fall. (alternate years). Arnosti, Martens.
471 Human Impacts on Estuarine Ecosystems (ENST 471) (4). Prerequisites, CHEM 102 and MATH 231. A cohesive examination of the human impacts on biological processes in estuarine ecosystems. Laboratory/recitation/field work is included and contributes two credit hours to the course.
472 Barrier Island Ecology and Geology (6).
Prerequisite, courses in general ecology and geology, or permission of
instructor. An integration of barrier island plant and animal ecology
within the context of physical processes and geomorphological change.
Emphasis on management and impact of human interference with natural
processes. Summer. Bruno, Peterson, Wells.
480 Modeling of Marine and Earth Systems (ENVR 160,
GEOL 480) (1-3). Prerequisite, MATH 232 or permission of the
instructor. Mathematical modeling of the dynamic system, linear and
nonlinear. The fundamental budget equation. Case studies in modeling
convective transport, biogeochemical process, population dynamics.
Analytical and numerical techniques, chaos theory, fractal geometry.
Three lecture hours per week. Spring. Rial, Scotti, Werner.
483 Geologic and Oceanographic Applications of Geographical
Information Systems (GEOL 483) (4). Prerequisites, four
natural science courses or permission of instructor. Focus on applying
GIS concepts and techniques to mining and petroleum geology, resource
assessment, hydrogeology, coastal and marine geology, physical
oceanography, engineering geology, and a geologic perspective on land
use.
490 Special Topics in Marine Sciences for Undergraduates and Graduates (2-4). Prerequisites, science background and permission of the instructor. Directed readings, laboratory, and/or field study of marine science topics not covered in scheduled courses.
499 Experimental Courses for Graduates (2-4).
550 Biogeochemical Cycling (GEOL 550) (3).
Prerequisites, MASC (GEOL) 553 or 440 or GEOL510, or ENVR421, or MASC
505, or permission of instructor. Biogeochemical cycling explores
interfaces between marine, aquatic, atmospheric and geological sciences
emphasizing processes controlling chemical distributions in sediments,
fresh and salt water, the atmosphere, and fluxes between these
reservoirs.Fall and Spring. Arnosti, Martens, Teske.
551 Biogeochemical Techniques (2). Pre- or
corequisite, MASC 505. Introduction to fundamental techniques used in
biogeochemical research including sampling, instrumental, and wet
chemical analytical measurements, use of stable isotopes and rate
measurements using radioactive tracers. Spring. Albert.
552 Organic Geochemistry (GEOL 552) (3) Prerequisites,
MASC 505 or CHEM 261, or permission of instructor. Sources,
transformations, and fate of natural organic matter in marine
environments. Emphasis on interplay of chemical, biological, and
physical processes which affect organic matter composition,
distribution, and turnover. Fall. (Alternate years.) Arnosti.
553 Geochemistry (GEOL 512) (3). Prerequisites, GEOL
403 or 111, CHEM 102, or permission of the instructor. Introduction to
the application of chemical principles to geological problems, with
emphasis on isotopic methods. Spring. Benninger.
560 Fluid Dynamics (GEOL 560, ENVR 452, PHYS 660) (3).
Prerequisite, Physics 103 or permission. The physical properties of
fluids, kinematics, governing equations, viscous incompressible flow,
vorticity dynamics, boundary layers, irrotational incompressible flow.
Three lecture hours a week. Fall. Scotti.
561 Time Series and Spatial Data Analysis (3).
Prerequisites, differential and integral calculus. Analysis of time
series, one-dimensional spatial series, and two-dimensional spatial
series. Parametric and non-parametric spectralestimation. Harmonic
analysis. Filtering. Objective analysis. Includes computer projects.
Three lecture hours a week. Spring. Alternate years. Seim.
562 Turbulent Boundary Layers (2). Prerequisites: MASC
506 or MASC 560, or permision from instructor. Turbulence and transport
in near-bottom boundary regions. Turbulence and mixing theory in
boundary layers. Field deployment and recovery of turbulence measuring
instruments. Data analysis from turbulence measurements. Alternate
summers. Scotti.
563 Descriptive Physical Oceanography (GEOL 563) (3). Prerequisites, MASC 506 or permission. Observed structure of the large-scale and mesoscale ocean circulation and its variability, based on modern observations. In situ and remote sensing techniques, hydrographic structure, circulation patterns, ocean-atmosphere interactions. Three lecture hours a week. Spring. Alternate years. Bane, Seim.
741 Seminar in Marine Biology (2). Discussion of
selected literature in the field of marine biology, ecology, and
evolution. Fall, spring, or summer. Marko, Bruno, Moran.
742 Molecular Population Biology (BIOL 752) (4).
Prerequisite, BIOL 471 and permission of instructor. Hands-on training,
experience, and discussion of the application of molecular genetic
tools to questions of ecology, evolution, systematics, and
conservation.
750 Modeling Diagenetic Processes (3). Prerequisite,
MASC 480 or permission of instructor. An introduction to the theory and
application of modeling biogeochemical processes in sediments.
Diagenetic theory, numerical techniques, and examples of recently
developed sediment models. Three lecture hours a week. Spring.
alternate years. Alperin.
761 Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (3). Prerequisites,
MASC 560, MATH 528, or permission from instructor. Momentum equations
in a rotating reference frame, vorticity, potential vorticity,
circulation, the shallow water model, Rossby and Kelvin waves, the
Ekman layer. Three lecture hours a week. Spring (Alternate years).
Bane, Scotti, Seim.
762 Ocean Circulation Theory (3). Prerequisites, MASC
506, MASC 560, MATH 529, or permission from instructor. Theories,
models of large scale dynamics of ocean circulation. Potential
vorticity, quasi-geostrophy, instabilities. Fall. (Alternate years).
Bane, Scotti, Seim, Werner.
763 Coastal Circulation (3). Prerequisites, MASC 506,
MASC 560, MATH 529, or permission from instructor. Dynamics of the
coastal ocean. Shallow water equations, boundary layer and long wave
theory, wind driven circulation, fronts, estuaries. Fall (Alternate
years). Werner, Luettich, Seim.
764 Ocean Circulation Modeling (3). Prerequisites,
MASC 506, MATH 529, or permission from instructor. Computational
methods used in modeling oceanic circulation. Numerical solution of
equations governing mass, momentum and energy equations. Spring.
(Alternate years). Werner.es.
765 Small-Scale Physics of the Ocean (3).
Prerequisites, MASC 506, MASC 560. Physics of submesoscale processes in
the ocean. Non-equilibrium thermodynamics. Air-sea interaction. Mixing
in the ocean boundary layer, convection, double diffusion.
Near-inertial and high frequency internal waves. Three lecture hours a
week. Spring (Alternate years). Seim, Shay.
781 Numerical ODE/PDE I (MATH 761, ENVR 761) (3).
Single, multistep methods for ODEs: stability regions, the root
condition; stiff systems, backward difference formulas; two-point BVPs;
stability theory; finite difference methods for linear advection
diffusion equations. Fall. Minion.
782 Numerical ODE/PDE II (MATH 762, ENVR 762) (3).
Elliptic equation methods (finite differences, elements, integral
equations); hyperbolic conservation law methods (Lax-Friedrich,
characteristics, entropy condition, shock tracking/capturing);
spectral, pseudo-spectral methods; particle methods, fast summation,
fast multipole/vortex methods. Spring. Minion.
783 Mathematical Modeling I (MATH 768, ENVR 763) (3).
Nondimensionalization and identification of leading order physical
effects with respect to relevant scales and phenomena; deviation of
classical models of fluid mechanics (lubrication, slender filament,
thin filing, Stokes flow); deviation of weakly nonlinear envelope
equations. Fall. Camassa.
784 Mathematical Modeling II (MATH 769, ENVR 764) (3).
Current models in science and technology: topics ranging from material
science applications (e.g. flow of polymers and LCPs); geophysical
applications (e.g., ocean circulation, quasi-geostrophic models,
atmospheric vortices). Spring. Camassa.
940 Research in Marine Sciences (2 or more).
992 Master's Thesis (3 or more).
994 Doctoral Dissertation (3 or more).
* For additional information on course offerings, please contact the
Department's Academic Program Coordinator Jeremy Boomhower; telephone:
919-843-9398.