DMS COURSES
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ADVANCED UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
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CMOG 5001. Introduction to Climate Change (I, II).
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. Overview of the principles of Earth’s climate covering a broad range of phenomena that influence climate at various regional and global time scales and resolutions. Discussion of climate forced by external controls. Description of the effects of internal forces and their variability, and human-induced climate change. Emphasis on the role of greenhouse gases and rates of change of these processes. Discussion of the future climate change scenarios and possible mitigating steps.
CMOG 5002. Introduction to Climate Change Laboratory (I, II).
One credit hour. Three hours of laboratory per week. Practical overview through laboratory exercises of the principles of Earth’s climate covering a broad range of phenomena. Practical examination of climate forced by external controls. Practical description of the effects of internal forces and their variability, and human-induced climate change. Laboratory exercises include the use of proxy data, climate modeling, and examination of climate change impacts.
CIMA 5005 Introduction to Oceanography (I, II)
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. Basic knowledge, techniques, and areas of interest of the different disciplines of marine sciences. The interaction and research aims in Physical, Geological, Chemical and Biological Oceanography.
CIMA 5008 Introduction to Oceanography Laboratory (I, II)
One credit hour. Three hours of laboratory per week.
Laboratory exercises emphasizing basic knowledge, techniques, and areas of interest of the different disciplines of marine sciences and the interaction and research aims of Physical, Geological, Chemical and Biological Oceanography.
CMOB 5006. SEAFOOD PROCESSING (II) (Ondemand)
Four credit hours. Three hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. Techniques for processing seafood products and their effects on quality and consumer acceptance.
CMOB 5007. FUNDAMENTALS OF AQUACULTURE
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. The culture of animals and plants in fresh, brackish, or saline water. Field trips required.
CIMA 5008 Introduction to Oceanography Laboratory (I, II)
One credit hour. Three hours of laboratory per week.
Laboratory exercises emphasizing basic knowledge, techniques, and areas of interest of the different disciplines of marine sciences and the interaction and research aims of Physical, Geological, Chemical and Biological Oceanography.
CMOB 5015. FISHERIES BIOLOGY (I, II)
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. A study of the principles and methods of fisheries investigation with emphasis on the fisheries of North America and the Caribbean. Field trips.
CMOB 5016. PHYCOLOGY (I, II)
Three credit hours. Two hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. Fundamental study of algae in general, with reference to the main groups: Chlorophyta, Xantophyta, Cyanophyta, Phaeophyta, Rhodophyta. Study of biology, life histories, morphogenesis, ecology, evolution, taxonomy, and commercial or industrial uses of algae, and their importance in the bio-economics of the sea and other bodies of water. Intensive use will be made of audiovisual techniques, the herbarium, the laboratory, and field trips.
CMOB 5017. MARINE ECOLOGY AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
Five credit hours. Three hours of lecture and two three-hour laboratories per week. Prerequisite: authorization of the Director of the Department. Description of the marine environment and familiarization with the major tropical marine communities; data-gathering and biological sampling techniques; human impact on the marine environment from the standpoint of pollution, exploitation, protection, and regulation; jurisprudence in major litigation involving marine resources; management practices.
CMOB 5018. MARINE ECOLOGY
Six credit hours. Ten hours of lecture and eighteen hours of laboratory per week during six weeks in the summer.
A study of marine communities and their environment, with special consideration of ecosystems in the sea.
CMOB 5035. ENDANGERED MARINE VERTEBRATES
Two credit hours. Two threehour periods of practice per week. Biology, diseases, autopsy, and care of protected and endangered marine vertebrates. Field trips are required.
CMOB 5087. AQUACULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. Impact of aquaculture on the environment and the mitigation of its effects. Field trips required.
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GENERAL GRADUATE COURSES
CIMA 6999. RESEARCH AND THESIS (I, II, S)
One to six credit hours. Up to a maximum of six credits representing the research and thesis may be granted towards the master of science degree.
CIMA 8785. CURRENT TOPICS SEMINAR (II)
Two credit hours. Two hours of lecture per week. Recent topics in marine sciences and related fields.
CIMA 8998. SPECIAL PROBLEMS (I, II, S)
One to three credit hours. One to three sessions per week. Tutorial discussion and/or laboratory and library research on a special topic.
CIMA 8999. DOCTORAL RESEARCH AND DISSERTATION (I, II, S)
Up to twelve credit hours. Up to a maximum of twelve credits representing the dissertation may be granted toward the Doctor of Philosophy degree.
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BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY (CMOB)
Biological oceanography seeks to understand the life histories and population dynamics of marine organisms and how they interact with their environment over space and time. Biological oceanographers in the department utilize a variety of techniques including SCUBA, shipboard samplers, acoustics, molecular biology, and mathematical modeling to understand the oceans and their inhabitants. Research is focus on: marine physiology, botany, microbiology, ichtiology invertebrates, remote sensing, molecular biology, and fisheries.
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CMOB 6018. MARINE ECOLOGY (I, II) (On demand)
Four credit hours. Three hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. Structure and function of marine ecosystems; flux of energy and materials in biogeochemical cycles.
CMOB 6077. ZOOPLANKTON ECOLOGY(On demand)
Three credit hours. Two hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisite: authorization of the Director of the Department. Aspects of zooplankton ecology in relation to oceanographic processes in estuarine, neritic, and oceanic ecosystems. Includes experiences in sampling techniques and experimental design.
CMOB 6618. BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY(I)
Three credit hours. Two hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. Marine life and its relationship to geological, physical and chemical aspects of the ocean; basic techniques fundamental to marine research. Demonstrations and field trips.
CMOB 6619. BIO-OPTICAL OCEANOGRAPHY (I)(On demand)
Four credit hours. Three hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. Integrated study of the role of light in aquatic ecosystems including the physics of light transmission within water, the biochemistry and physiology of aquatic photosynthesis, and the ecological relationships that depend on the underwater light environment. Field trips required.
CMOB 6635. RESEARCH METHODS IN MARINE SCIENCES (II)
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. Techniques of data collection, analysis, and interpretation with emphasis on research problems relevant to the marine ecosystems of Puerto Rico.
CMOB 6645. MARINE PLANKTON BIOLOGY (I, II)(On demand)
Two credit hours. One hour of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. Study of the marine plankton with emphasis on systematics, morphology, life histories, physiology, feeding, and reproduction. Importance of plankton on the economy of the sea, particularly in their role as primary and secondary producers. Field trips required.
CMOB 6655. MOLECULAR MARINE BIOLOGY (I, II)(On demand)
Four credit hours. Two hours of lecture and two three-hour laboratories per week. Prerequisite: authorization of the Director of the Department. Theory, practice, and applications of molecular marine biology.
CMOB 8635. MARINE MICROBIOLOGY
Three credit hours. Two lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week. A study of the biology of marine microalgae, bacteria and protozoa, with emphasis on the techniques of pure cultures and the physiology and ecology of marine organisms, both autotrophic and heterotrophic.
CMOB 8649. CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF READINGS IN MARINE ECOLOGY (II)(On demand)
Two credit hours. Four hours of seminar per week. Study of classical and recent readings in marine ecology. Analysis of authors’ aims, methods, results, and interpretations.
CMOB 8667. ADVANCED FISHERIES BIOLOGY (I, II)(On demand)
Three credit hours. Two hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. Prerequisites: authorization of the Director of the Department. Population dynamics of exploited species, management and conservation principles for commercial fisheries.
CMOB 8676. SYSTEMATICS OF MARINE INVERTEBRATES (I)(On demand)
Four credit hours. Three hours of lecture and one four-hour laboratory per week. Taxonomy, phylogeny and distribution of marine invertebrates with special attention to local forms.
CMOB 8678. MARINE POPULATION BIOLOGY (I, II)(On demand)
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. Principles of population biology and their application to the organization of marine communities.
CMOB 8679. MARINE BOTANY (I, II).Three credit hours
Two hours of lecture and one three hour laboratory per week. A study of the flora of the sea, with emphasis on the morphology, ecology and taxonomy of algae.
CMOB 8686. ICHTHYOLOGY I (II)(On demand)
Three credit hours. Two hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. A study of the morphology, physiology and ecology of fishes, with emphasis on marine forms.
CMOB 8687. ICHTHYOLOGY II (I)(On demand)
Three credit hours. Two hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. A study of the systematics, evolution and distribution of fishes, with emphasis on marine forms.
CMOB 8708. CORAL REEF BIOLOGY
Four credit hours. Three hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. Evolution, characteristics, and distribution of coral reefs. Field trips required.
CMOB 8715. ECOLOGICAL CONCEPTS IN MARINE RESEARCH (I, II)(On demand)
Three credit hours. Two hours of lecture and one three hour laboratory per week. Advanced ecological concepts with special emphasis on the marine environment; energy relationships in ecological systems; application of quantitative biology and experimental methods in ecological research.
CMOB 8716. ECOLOGY OF MARINE COMMUNITIES SEMINAR (II)(On demand)
Two credit hours. Two sessions per week. Composition and quantitative structure of selected marine assemblages, and their energetic and tropic relationships.
CMOB 8992. A, B, C. SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN MARINE PHYSIOLOGY (I, II)(On demand)
One to three credit hours. One to three sessions per week. Courses dealing with specific techniques in the laboratory related to problems in areas of osmoregulation, ionic equilibrium, and pigment physiology.
CMOB 8993. A, B, C. SPECIAL TOPICS IN AQUACULTURE (I, II)(On demand)
One to three credit hours. One to three sessions per week. Studies under staff supervision on projects specifically concerned with aquaculture. Topics will be selected by agreement between the student and the professor.
CMOB 8994. A, B, C. SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN MARINE INVERTEBRATES (I, II)(On demand)
One to three credit hours. One to three sessions per week. Supervised study or research on specific selected aspects of marine invertebrates, or techniques pertaining to their study.
CMOB 8995. A, B, C. SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN FISHERIES BIOLOGY (I, II)
One to three credit hours. One to three sessions per week. Individual student research on the biology of commercial fish and invertebrates, and on commercial fisheries.
CMOB 8996. A, B, C. SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN MARINE ALGAE (I, II)(On demand)
One to three credit hours. One to three sessions per week. Individual student research on selected problems dealing with the marine algae of Puerto Rico.
CMOB 8997. A, B, C. SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN ICHTHYOLOGY (I, II)(On demand)
One to three credit hours. One to three sessions per week. Individual student research on marine fishes.
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GEOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY (CMOG)
Geological oceanography is the study of Earth beneath the oceans. A geological oceanographer studies the topography, structure, and geological processes of the ocean floor to discover how the Earth and oceans were formed and how ongoing processes may change them in the future. Geological oceanography is one of the broadest fields in the Earth Sciences and contains many sub disciplines, including geophysics and plate tectonics, petrology and sedimentation processes, and micro-paleontology and stratigraphy. Geological oceanographers study many features of the oceans such as rises and ridges, trenches, seamounts, abyssal hills, the oceanic crust, sedimentation (clastic, chemical, and biological), erosional processes, and seismicity.
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CMOG 6616. GEOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY (II)
Three credit hours. Two hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. For students not majoring in Geological Oceanography. A review of the basic concepts of geology; geomorphology and structure of the ocean basins and continental shelves; techniques of marine exploration and research; study of the tectonic theories on the origin of marine basins and structural processes; the distribution of sediments, and marine sedimentary processes.
CMOG 8606. COASTAL GEOMORPHOLOGY (II)(On demand)
Three credit hours. Two hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. The origin of coastal features and their relationships with shore problems relative to the basic sciences; presentation of the forces that modify the shores. Discussion and field trips.
CMOG 8618. MARINE GEOLOGY OF THE CARIBBEAN (I, II)(On demand)
Four credit hours. Two hours of lecture and two three-hour laboratory periods per week. Prerequisite: 15 credit hours in Geology. Synthesis and analysis of the marine geology of the Caribbean, using published data and cruise information; survey of our present knowledge of bathymetry, and of the structure, sediments and stratigraphy of the Caribbean.
CMOG 8655. MARINE BIOGEOGRAPHY (I, II)
(On demand). Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. The origin, speciation and distribution of marine plants and animals in relation to the physical, chemical and physiological aspects of the ocean, with special emphasis on tropical biota.
CMOG 8675. ADVANCED GEOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY (I, II)(On demand)
Three credit hours. Two hours of lecture and one three hour laboratory per week. A comprehensive review of the geomorphology and structure of the ocean basins; analysis of tectonic theories and structural processes operating in the marine environment; distribution of marine sediments.
CMOG 8706. STRUCTURE OF CORAL REEF
Three credit hours. One hour of lecture and two three-hour laboratories per week. Structure, development, and methods of study of coral reefs. Field trips required.
CMOG 8717. SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN MARINE GEOLOGY (II)(On demand)
One to three credit hours. One to three hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week. Supervised study or research on specific aspects in marine geology.
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CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY (CMOQ)
Chemical oceanographers seek to understand the ways in which various elements are cycled within the oceans, and the reactions that these elements undergo. Ocean chemists improve our understanding of the basic conditions under which ocean life thrives in seawater, and help predict the effects of anthropogenic and natural climate change on ocean composition. Research is based on: eutrophication, primary productivity, water gases, ocean acidification, marine contamination, and biochemical cycles.
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CMOQ 6615. CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY (II)
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. General survey of chemical oceanography, including application of basic concepts of physical and analytical chemistry to the marine environments, chemical interactions of major and minor constituents of seawater, the influence of chemical processes on physical, biological, and geological processes.
CMOQ 6617. MARINE POLLUTION (II)(On demand)
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. Prerequisite: CMOQ 6615 or CIMA 6615. Deleterious effects on living resources, human health, marine activities, and water quality caused by the anthropogenic introduction of substances or energy into the marine environment.
CMOQ 8616. OCEANOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES (I)
Three credit hours. One hour of lecture and one six-hour laboratory period per week; also a three days’ duration training cruise. Pre-requisite: authorization of the Director of the Department. Training in the use of standard shipboard and laboratory techniques in physical, chemical, geological and biological oceanography. Planning and execution of a trip on a cruise. Data collection, processing and analysis.
CMOQ 8638. CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY LABORATORY (I)
Three credit hours. One hour of lecture and six hours of laboratory per week. Laboratory experience in techniques of sampling and handling of marine samples, and the analyses of these samples for major, minor and trace constituents.
CMOQ 8991. A, B, C. SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY (I, II)(On demand)
One to three credit hours. One to three sessions per week. Laboratory studies of specific problems in chemical oceanography. Topics to be chosen by the student and approved by the professor.
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PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY (CMOF)
Physical oceanography involves the study of water movement in the ocean. Energy is introduced to the ocean through wind and solar heating, and these combine with the rotation of the Earth and gravitational effects to drive ocean circulation, tides, and waves. Our physical oceanographers also investigate how the Earth’s oceans are directly coupled with the atmosphere, from local weather patterns to the global climate system. The research is focus on coastal structures, atmospheric, ocean turbulences, remote sensing, geophysical dynamics, surface waves mechanics, coastal sediment transport, estuarine circulation and analytical and numerical models.
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CMOF 5005. COASTAL STRUCTURES
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. Types of coastal structures; their purpose, design, construction, and environmental impact.
CMOF 5015. PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY FOR ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES
CMOF 6005. METHODS OF OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA ANALYSIS
CMOF 6006. ATMOSPHERIC AND OCEANIC TURBULENCE (I, II)(On demand)
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. Fundamental concepts of turbulence and their application to the study of geophysical fluids.
CMOF 6617. PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY (I)
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. General introduction to the study of physical processes in the sea; physical properties of sea water, heat budget, water budget, temperature salinity relationships, light in the sea, equations of motion, vertical stability, Coriolis effect geostrophic motion, general oceanic circulation, waves and tides.
CMOF 6631-6632. GEOPHYSICAL FLUID DYNAMICS I-II
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week each semester. Prerequisite: authorization of the Director of the Department. The dynamics of large-scale motions in the ocean and the atmosphere. Theories of stratified fluids in rotation and of geophysical waves.
CMOF 6445. REMOTE SENSING IN OCEANOGRAPHY I
CMOF 8446. REMOTE SENSING IN OCEANOGRAPHY II
CMOF6655. OCEAN SURFACE WAVE MECHANICS (I-II)
Three credits hours. Three hours of lecture per week. Study of the mechanics of ocean surface gravity waves, including theory, kinematical, statistics, spectra and forces.
CMOF 8446. OCEANOGRAPHIC REMOTE SENSING II Four credit hours
Two hours of lecture and two three-hour laboratories per week. Discussion and analysis of the most advanced techniques used for oceanographic data acquisition using remote sensing and through the critical analysis of the corresponding scientific literature. Data obtained by hyperspectral sensors and by in situ field optical instruments will be emphasized. Field trips required in small and large vessels.
CMOF 8619. COASTAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. Interactions between long and short period waves and the shore; tides, storm surges, seiches, shoaling wave theories, wave refraction and diffraction, breakers, run-up, long shore currents, near shore sediment transportation, foreshore processes.
CMOF 8659. COMPUTER MODELING IN OCEANOGRAPHY AND METEOROLOGY (I, II)(On demand)
Three credit hours. Three hours of lecture per week. Finite difference methods for the solution of the hydrodynamic equations that appear in numerical models of the atmosphere and the ocean, emphasizing the solution of the linear and nonlinear advection equation, numerical filtering techniques, and mesh systems.
CMOF 8990. A, B, C. SPECIAL PROBLEMS IN PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY (I, II)(On demand)
One to three credit hours. One to three sessions per week. Selected topics in physical oceanography.
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NOTE: The information on this page changes frequently, may be outdated and in need of revision. Please contact us for the most up to date information, cima@uprm.edu.