BISC 586 Biological Oceanographic Instrumentation 2018

This class is meant to provide students with an overview of methods, instrumentation and
equipment used in oceanographic studies of the water column and the ocean floor. In this
class we will also utilize large databases and issues of instrument calibration,
interpretation of measurements, and data management.

Students will select a topic of their choice to be presented at the end of the class and as a
written document to be submitted. The class has a mid Term but no Final Exam.

Class will be held Monday at 10 - 1145 am . Location TBA.

Instructors

Dr. James Moffett

Office: AHF 204
Phone: (213) 740-2656
e-mail: moffett.james@gmail.com

Dr. Dale Kiefer

Dale Kiefer
E-mail: kiefer@usc.edu
Phone: (213) 740-5814
Office: AHF 342

Introduction and Purposes

Course Objectives: The main goal of this course is to foster an understanding of how marine
scientists use sampling devices, in-situ instrumentation and analytical methods to explore
the processes in the ocean and to address environmental issues. A parallel objective of this
course is the development of an expertise accessing and using existing databases that
contain vast amounts of critical information about the oceans.

Course Outline: The course will cover approaches used for investigations in the water
column as well as at the sea floor. We will survey analytical principles, theories and
applications behind commonly used methodologies in biological oceanography. The class
will also examine data management in ocean science, metadata and how to access national
data archives. Some lectures will be held in the computer lab (ZHS 257).
The introduction to analytical methods includes:
 Instrumentation used at sea to sample the water column and sediments.
 In-situ measurements in the water column (e.g. Conductivity, Temperature, Density
(CTD), light intensity, chlorophyll concentrations)
 Instrumentation and use of submersibles or remote operated vehicles to explore the
ocean floor and the deep sub-surface (e.g. oxygen transport, production and
consumption; geochemical gradients that provide clues on microbial activities)
 Laboratory analyses of parameters that are relevant for the understanding of
biogeochemical processes in the ocean (for example oxygen, carbon, nutrients,
metals)

The introduction of data management will include:

 Demonstration how to access and use different oceanographic web pages and data
bases
 Introduction and practice in the use of existing data bases.
 An introduction to Ocean Optics in the context of upper ocean biology, from a
quantitative and modelling perspective.

The approach of the course will follow a general sequence of themes that will 1) introduce
diverse methods used in marine biology and chemistry 2) cover diverse analytical
instruments used in marine/environmental oceanography, 3) discuss basic concepts of
statistics in support of analytical methods, 4) build gradual expertise in problem-solving
using a suite of different instruments and analytical approaches seeking to address current
issues in oceanography.

Our goal is that students will emerge from the class with a working knowledge of most of
the core oceanographic techniques used by biological oceanographers in support of their
research.
Students will also know whom to contact at USC and elsewhere if they need to use specific
instrumentation, scientific approaches and data bases in the course of their research.

 Grading breakdown

We expect students to attend regularly. We like to be informed if students are unable to

attend a lecture or a laboratory exercise and will decide on an individual basis how the
student will be able to make up for the missed class.

Paper and Presentation

After the first 4 weeks we would like students to choose a topic, on which they will
prepare a scientific paper (10 pages) and will give a presentation to the class (10 min.
presentation + 5 min. discussion). The papers have to be turned in at the end of the 6th
week of classes. Papers will be subjected to the “turnitin” protocol via Blackboard
application. The presentations will be given during the last 2 weeks of the course.
Grades will be based on

Participation: 10 %
Presentation: 30 %
Paper: 30 %
Mid Term Exam: 30%
The papers will be evaluated based on correctness, completeness, and quality of
written paper. Presentations will be evaluated similarly for correctness, completeness
and quality of presentation.

Note: There will be no Final Exam