Ocean Biosciences Program

Biological Oceanography

Biological Oceanography is concerned with the interactions of populations of marine organisms with one another and with their physical and chemical environment. Because these interactions are frequently complex, and because the concepts and techniques used are drawn from many fields, biological oceanography is, of necessity, interdisciplinary. Therefore, studies in physical oceanography, marine chemistry, and marine geology, and several biological areas are pertinent.

Research areas in Biological Oceanography include

• primary and secondary productivity and nutrient regeneration
• fishery biology and management
• community ecology of benthic and pelagic organisms
• population dynamics
• habitat changes and disruptions
• systematics and biogeography
• population genetics and evolution
• behavior as it affects distribution

Methods involve

• instrument development
• sampling program design
• statistical data analysis

Marine Biology

Marine Biology is the observational and experimental study of all aspects of the physiology, genetics, behavior, ecology and evolution of marine organisms. A primary goal of marine biology is to gain an understanding of the adaptations that organisms have evolved in order to function in diverse marine habitats. This endeavor invariably requires application of a variety of biological tools, ranging from molecular genetics, biochemistry and cellular biology to theoretical ecology and paleontology.

Research areas in Marine Biology include

• Marine microbiology
• Biogeochemistry
• Biogeography
• Biomechanics
• Biodiversity
• Genomics
• Marine biotechnology and biomedicine
• Cell and developmental biology
• Marine physiology
• Marine conservation
• Marine ecology
• Systematics
• Paleobiology