Introductory Oceanography

Harold V. Thurman and Elizebeth Burton

To begin, use the list below or the Jump To menu above to select a chapter.

1. The History of Ocean Exploration and Ocean Science
2. Beginnings of the Universe, Earth and Life
3. Global Plate Tectonics
4. Marine Provinces
5. Marine Sediments
6. The Physical Properties of Water and Seawater
7. The Chemistry of Seawater
8. Air-sea Interaction
9. Ocean Circulation
10. Waves
11. Tides
12. The Shore
13. Coastal Waters and Marginal Seas
14. The Marine Environment
15. Biological Productivity and Energy Transfer
16. Animals of the Pelagic Environment
17. Animals of the Benthic Environment
18. Exploitation and Pollution of Marine Resources
Introduction to Using Issues
Issue 1 - Coastal Population Growth: A Global Ecosystem at Risk
Issue 2 - Coral Rocks! The Value of the World's Coral Reefs
Issue 3 - Sharks
Issue 4 - Global Warming and Sea Level Rise
Issue 5 - Toxic Chemicals in Seawater
Issue 6 - Greenhouse Gases, Global CO₂ Emisssions, and Global Warming
Issue 7 - Catch of the Day
Issue 8 - Beaches or Bedrooms? The Dynamic Coastal Environment
Issue 9 - Human Impact on Estuaries
Issue 10 - Dolphin-Safe Tuna and Turtle-Safe Shrimp
Issue 11 - Illegal Immigration: Ballast Water an Exotic Species
Issue 12 - Lifestyles of the Large and Blubbery: How to Grow a Blue Whale

The tools that you'll find on our site include:

• ON-LINE QUIZZES   Understanding the Concepts will help you test your fundamental comprehension of the terms and concepts presented in that chapter. Each multiple-choice question has a helpful hint that pushes you in the right direction without simply giving away the answer. The Visualizing Oceanography module challenges you to correctly label diagrams and images to test your knowledge of oceanographic concepts, while your knowledge of relevant terminology is tested with Fill in the Blank exercises. The on-line quizzes are automatically graded, and the Results Reporter provides a coaching comment for each question, providing additional information for a right answer. For the multiple choice quizzes, a comment is also provided to explain why an incorrect answer was wrong. All on-line quiz grades can be automatically submitted to your instructor via e-mail.

• WRITING EXERCISES   The Web Essays pose thoughtful questions that ask you to apply your understanding of oceanography to situations you may encounter outside of the classroom and lab--in your community or in the news. Your short answer or essay responses can be submitted to your instructor via e-mail. At least one Web Essay per chapter asks you to link to a specific Website to do your research. Each question includes a model answer which helps you connect the material you read in your text to the situation.

• WEB LINKS   Accurate and dependable links to the best oceanography sites on the web. Researched, annotated, and regularly updated by oceanography instructors and organized by topic and chapter, the Destinations give you a running head start on research and exploration outside the book, lecture hall, and lab.