2026-2028 Catalog
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OCN Courses

OCN 1100 Marine Biology (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: F
2026-28 or later catalog: GE Area 5B
2020-26 catalogs: GE Area B2

Introduction to organismal biology using marine examples. Origin and diversity of marine life including prokaryotes, protists, marine invertebrates and vertebrates. Mendelian genetics, speciation, reproduction, basic cellular physiology. 3 lectures. Fulfills GE Area 5B (GE Area B2 for students on the 2020-26 catalogs). Formerly OCN 100 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 1100L Marine Biology Laboratory (1 unit)
Term Typically Offered: F
2026-28 or later catalog: GE Area 5C
2020-26 catalogs: GE Area B3
Corequisite: OCN 100 or OCN 1100.

Introduction to stereo and compound microscopes, plankton collections and enumeration of phytoplankton and zooplankton, fouling invertebrates and marine invasive species, invertebrate and vertebrate dissections. 1 laboratory. Fulfills GE Area 5C (GE Area B3 for students on the 2020-26 catalogs). Formerly OCN 100L at Cal Maritime.
OCN 1105 Introduction to Oceanography (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: F, SP
2026-28 or later catalog: GE Area 5A
2020-26 catalogs: GE Area B1

An exploration of the chemical, geological, physical and biological processes occurring within Earth's Oceans. Topics include: the formation of the universe, plate tectonics, atmospheric circulation, hurricanes, global climate change, ocean circulation, El Nino, waves, tsunamis, tides, origin of life on Earth, deep-sea environments, ocean resources, and marine pollution. 3 lectures. Fulfills GE Area 5A (GE Area B1 for students on the 2020-26 catalogs). Formerly OCN 105 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 1110 Marine Ecology (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: SP
2026-28 or later catalog: GE Area 5B
2020-26 catalogs: GE Area B2

Introduction to marine ecology of diverse habitats including the estuarine, intertidal, epipelagic, and deep sea, coral reefs and polar ecosystems. 3 lectures. Fulfills GE Area 5B (GE Area B2 for students on the 2020-26 catalogs). Formerly OCN 110 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 1110L Marine Ecology Laboratory (1 unit)
Term Typically Offered: SP
2026-28 or later catalog: GE Area 5C
2020-26 catalogs: GE Area B3
Corequisite: OCN 110 or OCN 1110.

Laboratory/field-based course working in local marine environments, including estuarine, wetland, rocky intertidal and beach communities, to understand marine ecology. Service-learning course that will partner with state, federal, or non-governmental agencies to collect and interpret ecological data. 1 laboratory. Fulfills GE Area 5C (GE Area B3 for students on the 2020-26 catalogs). Formerly OCN 110L at Cal Maritime.
OCN 1195 Special Topics (1-3 units)
Term Typically Offered: F, SP
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

Special topic courses are intended to enable each department to offer an elective course of study when faculty scholarship activities, the expertise of visiting faculty, or off-campus educational programs may afford a unique and worthwhile learning experience. 1 to 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 195 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 2200 Oceanography I: Geology and Chemistry (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: F
Prerequisite: MTH 100 or MTH 1100 with a grade of C- or better.

History of oceanography, seafloor features, plate tectonics, marine sediments, chemistry of seawater, dissolved gases, and ocean resources. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 200 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 2200L Introduction to Oceanography Laboratory (1 unit)
Term Typically Offered: F
2026-28 or later catalog: GE Area 5C
2020-26 catalogs: GE Area B3
Corequisite: OCN 200 or OCN 2200.

Quantitative problem-solving in oceanography, application of open source oceanographic data. Sampling the San Francisco Estuary. 1 laboratory. Fulfills GE Area 5C (GE Area B3 for students on the 2020-26 catalogs). Formerly OCN 200L at Cal Maritime.
OCN 2210 Oceanography II: Physics and Biology (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: SP
Prerequisite: MTH 100 or MTH 1100 with a grade of C- or better. Concurrent: OCN 210L or OCN 2210L.

Introduction to atmosphere-earth-ocean interactions, global climate processes, ocean circulation, waves, tidal processes, plankton, nekton, and benthic organisms. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 210 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 2210L Introduction to Oceanography Laboratory II (1 unit)
Term Typically Offered: SP
Concurrent: OCN 210 or OCN 2210.

Quantitative problem-solving in physical and biological oceanography using a combination of simulation laboratory exercises, application of real, open source oceanographic data and field sampling in the San Francisco Estuary. 1 laboratory. Formerly OCN 210L at Cal Maritime.
OCN 2225 Environmental Sustainability (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: F, SP

Cycles and interconnectedness of the Earth system. The history of sustainability and its place within the political agenda. Large to small scale, including personal, transitions toward sustainable living, assessment and analysis of solutions. Emphasis on wate resource sustainability. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 225 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 3300 Global Education (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: SU
OCN 3305 Introduction to Ocean Science Research (1 unit)
Term Typically Offered: F
Prerequisite: OCN 200 or OCN 2200; and OCN 210 or OCN 2210.

Critical study, analysis, and evaluation of primary scientific literature. Oral and written presentations of recent scientific papers. Projects include an annotated bibliography using an electronic reference management system and an oceanography research proposal.1 seminar. Formerly OCN 305 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 3310 Oceanographic Instruments and Analysis (2 units)
Term Typically Offered: SP
Prerequisite: OCN 200 or OCN 2200; and OCN 210 or OCN 2210. Concurrent: OCN 310L or OCN 3310L.

Oceanographic sampling techniques, modern instrumentation, and laboratory analyses. Techniques for measuring ocean temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, chlorophyll-a, pH and carbon dioxide, and submarine light. 2 lectures. Formerly OCN 310 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 3310L Oceanographic Instruments and Analysis Laboratory (1 unit)
Term Typically Offered: SP
Prerequisite: OCN 200 or OCN 2200; and OCN 210 or OCN 2210. Concurrent: OCN 310 or OCN 3310.

Laboratory. Ocean sampling techniques, practical training in modern instrumentation and laboratory analyses. Techniques for measuring ocean temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, phosphate, chlorophyll-a, pH and carbon dioxide, and submarine light. 1 laboratory. Formerly OCN 310L at Cal Maritime.
OCN 3320 Oceans and Climate (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: F
2026-28 or later: Upper-Div GE Area 2/5
2020-26 catalogs: Upper-Div GE Area B
Prerequisite: MTH 210 or MTH 2210; and one of the following: PHY 100, PHY 1100, PHY 200, or PHY 2200.

A physics-based description of the atmosphere-ocean global (large-scale) circulation and its driving forces. Exploration of the earth-system's climate and the potential implications of climate change. 3 lectures. Fulfills GE Areas Upper-Division 2 or Upper-Division 5 (GE Area Upper-Division B for students on the 2020-26 catalogs). Formerly OCN 320 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 3330 Marine Microbial Ecology (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: F
Prerequisite: OCN 100 or OCN 1100; OCN 110 or OCN 1110; and OCN 210 or OCN 2210.

Ecology of microbes in the oceans including diversity, biomass and metabolic activity. Role in oceanographic processes and marine biogeochemical cycles. Prokaryotes (archaea and bacteria), autotrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic protists described and interactions with non-microbial organisms. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 330 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 3340 Chemical Oceanography (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: F
Prerequisite: and CHE 210 or CHE 2210; and OCN 200 or OCN 2200.

Chemical description of the ocean, past and present. Elemental cycling, the effects of biological, chemical, geological and physical processes on chemistry of seawater, and the distribution of gases, ions, nutrients and trace metals. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 340 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 3350 Physical Oceanography (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: SP
Prerequisite: MTH 210 or MTH 2210; OCN 210 or OCN 2210; and PHY 100 or PHY 1100.

Conservation of momentum and vorticity with particular attention to the boundary layer dynamics of ocean circulation. Introduction to wave-driven boundary layer dynamics and its effects on mixing. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 350 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 3360 Marine Geology (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: F
Prerequisite: OCN 200 or OCN 2200.

Plate tectonic theory. Origin and description of ocean floor morphology. Marine sediments / sedimentary processes. Processes of sea level change. Sedimentary shelf environments. Biological proxies of environmental change and paleoclimate. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 360 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 3380 Directed Research/Cooperative Education Experience (1 unit)
Term Typically Offered: F, SP, SU
Prerequisite: OCN 305 or OCN 3305. Concurrent: OCN 380L or OCN 3380L.

Collaborative research / work experience in the field of marine science, oceanography, marine / estuarine natural resource management. Demonstrate competence in hypothesis testing, gathering and analyzing oceanographic data. Placement in Co-Op experiences must be approved by major advisor. 1 lecture. Formerly OCN 380 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 3380L Directed Research Cooperative Education Laboratory (2 units)
Term Typically Offered: F, SP, SU
Prerequisite: OCN 305 or OCN 3305. Concurrent: OCN 380 or OCN 3380.

Collaborative research/work laboratory experience in the field of marine science, oceanography, marine / estuarine natural resource management. Demonstrate competence in hypothesis testing, gathering and analyzing oceanographic data. Placement in Co Op experiences must be approved by major advisor. 2 laboratories. Formerly OCN 380L at Cal Maritime.
OCN 3390 Independent Study (1-3 units)
Term Typically Offered: TBD
Prerequisite: Consent of the department.

Substantial study above and beyond the regular offerings in the Academy catalog. Arrangement needed with an Academy faculty member to be the Independent Study Advisor. Approved application for Independent Study must be on file. Formerly OCN 390 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 3395 Special Topics (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: SP
Prerequisite: Consent of instructor.

Special topic courses are intended to enables each department to offer an elective course of study when faculty scholarship activities, the expertise of visiting faculty, or off-campus educational programs may afford a unique and worthwhile learning experience. 1 to 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 395 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 4410 Phycology (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: TBD
Prerequisite: OCN 100 or OCN 1100; and OCN 330 or OCN 3330.

Taxonomy, phylogeny, morphology, physiology, and ecology of marine and freshwater algae. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 410 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 4420 Marine Biological Invasion (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: F, SP
Prerequisite: OCN 100 or OCN 1100.

Biology, evolution, and ecological impacts of aquatic introduced species on the marine environment. Emphasis on marine invertebrates. Discussion of strategies for prevention, detection, and management of impacts to human systems as well as the role of climate change on biotic homogenization of marine systems. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 420 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 4430 Fisheries Oceanography (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: TBD
Prerequisite: Junior standing.

Introduction to fish biology, identification, systematics and classification, with an emphasis on commercially important species. basic physiology. Mechanisms of fish stock abundance and recruitment within an ecological context. Explore policy approaches and ecosystem-based resource management to sustainable fisheries practices. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 430 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 4440 Introduction to Ocean Remote Sensing (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: F, SP
Prerequisite: OCN 200 or OCN 2200; and OCN 210 or OCN 2210.

General theory underlying ocean remote sensing; Application of techniques; Methods for accessing, manipulating, Combining and interpreting remotely sensed data. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 440 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 4450 Coastal and Estuarine Dynamics (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: TBD
Prerequisite: Junior standing.

Shallow water system dynamics and the response to local atmospheric, wave and tidal forcing. The effects of estuarine geometry and characterization of mixing and sediment re-suspension. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 450 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 4460 Air-Sea Interactions (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: TBD
Prerequisite: Junior standing.

Turbulent transfer of mass, momentum and energy near the air-sea interface. In-depth study of the structure of the air-sea interface and methods for measuring fluxes of heat, momentum and energy. Introduction to the role of surface gravity waves in the transfer dynamics. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 460 at Cal Maritime.
OCN 4470 Biogeochemistry (3 units)
Term Typically Offered: F, SP
Prerequisite: CHE 210 or CHE 2210; OCN 200 or OCN 2200; and OCN 340 or OCN 3340.

Introduction to basic concepts in low temperature geochemistry of aqueous and solid environmental systems. Geochemical reactions that shaped earth's early history. Evolution of planet from interactions of geochemical and biological reactions throughout time. Acid/base and redox chemistry and their influence on biogeochemical cycling of carbon, metals, and sulfur in various environments. Role of microbes as catalysts of biogeochemical reactions and the bioenergetics of these reactions that drive biogeochemical cycling in diverse environmental systems. 3 lectures. Formerly OCN 470 at Cal Maritime.