Oceanography Curriculum Outline
by Prof. William A.
Prothero, Dept. of Geological Sciences
IV. World Fisheries theme
A. Biological zones, productivity, and nutrient distribution
1.
What are the various basic kinds of marine life
a.
plants: phytoplankton
b.
animal
c.
relative biological mass of marine life types
2.
What are the essential conditions that support marine life?
a.
light
i.
photosynthesis and respiration
ii.
penetration of light into seawater
b.
nutrients
i.
oxygen
ii.
CO2
iii.
nitrate
iv.
phosphate
v.
cycling of nutrients, food web
c.
sources and sinks of nutrients
d.
transport of nutrients
i.
atmosphere
ii.
ocean currents
iii.
upwelling and mixing
iv.
sinking and deposition
e.
Biological pump
B. Fishing issues
1.
What are the major Òfisheries?Ó
2.
Overfishing
a.
What is ÒsustainableÓ fishing and what are the parameters that must
be considered when planning a sustainable fishery?
i.
reproduction rate
ii.
harvest rate
iii.
habitat size
iv.
availability of food source
v.
others?
b.
What are some examples of species that have been overfished and what
policies have been implemented to help the fisheries recover?
i.
New England Cod
ii.
sardine fishery in Peru
iii.
whale harvests
iv.
tuna and swordfish
v.
orange roughy
vi.
others?
c.
What are some of the fishing techniques that contribute to loss of species?
i.
drift nets
ii.
by-catch issues
iii.
environmental damage to habitat (trawling)
d.
What about fish farming? What are the positive and negative effects
of large fish farming operations?
3.
Policies
a.
Who are the Òstakeholders?Ó
b.
What is Òtragedy of the commons?Ó
c.
Catch limits
d.
Marine reserves and Òno take zonesÓ
e.
Santa Barbara Channel
f.
FishBanks game
