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Oceanography
95 topics across 7 chapters
Chapter 1
Foundations (ocean basins, seawater, basic skills)
1
Ocean basins & seafloor geography (bathymetry, major features)
2
Seawater properties & structure (core concepts)
3 subtopics
3
Temperature–salinity–density: compute density and interpret stratification
4
Water masses & T–S diagrams: identify and compare water masses
5
Sound speed & light attenuation: implications for acoustics and optics
6
Earth rotation, coordinates & reference frames (Coriolis intuition)
7
Basic ocean data skills (units, coding, plotting)
3 subtopics
8
Units & dimensional analysis for ocean processes
9
Intro Python/R for ocean data (read, subset, summarize)
10
Plotting profiles & sections (T/S/density vs depth and along-track)
11
Field safety & sea-going science basics (roles, logs, sampling discipline)
Chapter 2
Physical Oceanography
12
Forces & balances in the ocean (scaling and core approximations)
3 subtopics
13
Geostrophic balance: solve simple pressure-gradient/Coriolis problems
14
Ekman layers: compute Ekman transport and Ekman pumping
15
Scaling with Rossby/Froude numbers: decide which terms matter
16
Waves & tides (surface waves, internal waves, tidal constituents)
17
Circulation & gyres (wind-driven + overturning)
3 subtopics
18
Wind-driven gyres: Sverdrup balance and western intensification (conceptual)
19
Thermohaline circulation: water-mass transformation and overturning idea
20
Western boundary currents & fronts: why they’re strong and variable
21
Mixing & stratification (turbulence, mixed layer, interior mixing)
22
Coastal & estuarine dynamics (upwelling, tides, salinity intrusion)
23
Variability & climate modes (eddies to interannual)
3 subtopics
24
Time series & spectra: trend, seasonality, autocorrelation, power spectra
25
ENSO/NAO basics: how large-scale modes influence oceans
26
Mesoscale eddies overview: formation, energetics, transport impacts
Chapter 3
Chemical Oceanography
27
Carbonate system & seawater CO₂ chemistry
3 subtopics
28
Carbonate calculations: relate pH, alkalinity, and DIC conceptually
29
Measurement methods: alkalinity/pH/CO₂ system (what’s measured, how, pitfalls)
30
Saturation states: aragonite/calcite and what controls them
31
Nutrients & productivity linkage (N, P, Si limitations)
32
Oxygen & redox (OMZs, respiration, sediment–water redox basics)
33
Trace metals (iron limitation, scavenging, speciation intuition)
34
Anthropogenic change (acidification, CO₂ uptake, deoxygenation)
3 subtopics
35
Acidification indicators & datasets: interpret pH/Ω trends responsibly
36
Air–sea CO₂ flux estimation (sign conventions, drivers, uncertainties)
37
Multiple stressors: warming + acidification + low oxygen (mechanisms overview)
Chapter 4
Biological Oceanography
38
Primary production & phytoplankton ecology (light, nutrients, grazing)
39
Food webs & zooplankton (trophic transfer, size structure)
40
Benthic, reef & deep-sea ecosystems (key habitats and constraints)
41
Microbial loop (DOC, bacteria, viruses, nutrient recycling)
42
Biophysical coupling (physics shaping biology)
3 subtopics
43
Upwelling and blooms: work through a real regional case study
44
Fronts/eddies & habitat: how stirring changes encounter rates and niches
45
Phenology and warming: interpret timing shifts and mismatch risk
46
Biological sampling & observation methods
3 subtopics
47
Plankton nets & microscopy: design a tow and identify common taxa
48
eDNA/metagenomics primer: what questions it answers and limitations
49
Ocean color chlorophyll algorithms: what satellite chlorophyll means (and doesn’t)
Chapter 5
Geological Oceanography
50
Plate tectonics & ocean basin evolution (ridges, subduction, transforms)
51
Marine sediments & stratigraphy
3 subtopics
52
Sediment cores & paleo proxies: what you can infer (intro level)
53
Turbidity currents & submarine fans (how deep-sea sediments move)
54
Sediment transport pathways & budgets (source-to-sink thinking)
55
Coastal geomorphology & processes
3 subtopics
56
Longshore transport: do a first-pass calculation from waves to drift
57
Sea-level change & coastal risk: translate scenarios to local impacts
58
Estuaries, deltas & barrier islands: dominant controls and timescales
59
Marine geophysics tools (sonar, seismic, gravity/magnetics basics)
60
Hydrothermal vents & seep systems (geology–chemistry–biology link)
Chapter 6
Observations, Modeling & Data
61
Instrumentation survey (CTD/rosette, ADCP, drifters, gliders, floats)
62
Remote sensing of the ocean (what satellites can/can’t measure)
3 subtopics
63
SST & sea-surface salinity satellites: resolution, errors, use-cases
↗ Ocean color chlorophyll algorithms: what satellite chlorophyll means (and doesn’t) (see Chapter 4)
64
Altimetry: sea level, dynamic topography, and geostrophic currents
65
Ocean observing systems & data portals (Argo, moorings, archives)
66
Numerical modeling (from simple models to OGCMs)
3 subtopics
67
Build a simple 1D mixed-layer model (forcing, entrainment, validation)
68
Intro to ROMS/MITgcm-style workflows (grids, BCs, spin-up concept)
69
Model validation & skill metrics: compare against observations correctly
70
Statistics & uncertainty for ocean data
3 subtopics
↗ Time series & spectra: trend, seasonality, autocorrelation, power spectra (see Chapter 2)
71
Uncertainty propagation & QC flags (what errors dominate and why)
72
Experimental design & sampling bias (aliasing, representativeness)
73
Data management & reproducibility
3 subtopics
74
NetCDF/CF conventions: write and interpret interoperable datasets
75
Git for scientific work: branching, reviews, releases, and collaboration
76
Reproducible notebooks & provenance: rerunnable figures and traceability
Chapter 7
Ocean–Climate Interactions & Society
77
Ocean heat uptake & energy balance (why oceans dominate heat storage)
78
Sea level rise (processes, observations, projections)
3 subtopics
79
Steric vs mass components: thermal expansion vs added water
80
Ice sheets & regional fingerprints: why sea level isn’t uniform
↗ Altimetry: sea level, dynamic topography, and geostrophic currents (see Chapter 6)
81
Extremes & hazards (ocean-driven risks)
3 subtopics
82
Marine heatwaves: definitions, drivers, and ecological consequences
83
Tropical cyclones & SST/ocean heat content: feedbacks and intensification
84
Tsunamis & storm surge: basics of generation, propagation, and impact
85
Marine pollution (plastics, nutrients, oil; transport and fate basics)
86
Governance & management (MPAs, fisheries, equity, compliance basics)
87
Blue economy applications (shipping, offshore energy, coastal planning)

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