Open Ocean and Deep-Sea Ecosystems

Objectives

The main aim of this course will be to give students knowledge of the various aspects of the ecology of the open ocean and deep sea with the most up-to-date and relevant content, enabling them to acquire the necessary skills for their future work.

Program

I - History, paradigms and characteristics

• History of deep-sea exploration (major expeditions and theories); Instruments for studying the deep sea
• Deep sea geology; Chemistry; Hydrodynamics Carbon cycle
• Organisms in the water column; Benthic organisms; Microbial ecology
• Carbon cycle and the coupling of the water column and benthos

II - Biology of the Open Ocean and Deep Sea

• Biological and biochemical adaptations; Bioluminescence; Size matters
• Migration, Connectivity, Reproduction; Larval dispersal
• Food sources; Trophic ecology; Symbioses; Biomass and abundance
• Epipelagic zone, Continental shelf and slope; Abyssal plains; Trenches
• Hard substrate; Coral reefs and sponge aggregations, Seamounts
• Hydrothermal vents and other chemosynthetic environments

III - Humanity and the Deep Sea

• Climate change
• Impacts of human activities
• Law of the Sea and Conservation
• Marine ecosystem services and blue capital

Teaching Methodologies

The syllabus for the 1-hour lectures and 2-hour theoretical-practical sessions offered as part of the course. The content of the lectures and theoretical-practical sessions has been structured in such a way as to enable students to gain a deeper understanding of the theoretical concepts, as well as to experience the challenges of solving problems related to the study of open and deep-sea ecosystems. 

The one-hour lectures will introduce students to the theoretical foundations of the ecology of open ocean and deep-sea environments. The contents will be updated to ensure that they cover the latest advances in this field of knowledge. These theoretical contents will be fundamental to the smooth running of the theoretical-practical sessions. 

In each class, the topics will be presented using an objective, clear and dynamic exposition and accessible language in order to arouse the students' attention and stimulate their interest in the subject. In each lecture, a combination of expository and participatory methodologies will be used so that students can also build their own knowledge. Small challenges will be set to help them deduce key concepts related to the theoretical content presented in each lesson. Lessons are designed to be interactive and stimulating, with questions and debates being encouraged to promote critical thinking. 

Theoretical-practical classes 

The two-hour Theoretical-Practical classes will be used to challenge students, individually or in groups of 3-5 people, with conceptual work or individual practical exercises. The theoretical-practical classes will be used to discuss an article (a scientific article will be made available for each theoretical class, to be discussed in that week's theoretical-practical class), analysing the approach used, methodology, results and discussion. The articles are intended to be case studies and project-based learning, to immerse students in scenarios with real-world problems. 

Theoretical-practical classes will also include images of different deep-sea habitats as an example for analysis. One of the practical lessons will be planning an oceanographic mission from the idea to the means, approach, preliminary work and the actual work to be carried out on board. 

The last two sessions will allow students to visit the Oceanographic Vessel (currently the Arquipélago, but a new vessel is being built) and DeepSeaLab, an experimental laboratory where physiological experiments are conducted with deep-sea organisms to study the impacts of climate change and human activities (fishing, microplastics, mining plumes). The aim of these visits is to identify the fundamental concepts and equipment presented during the course.

If the student fails the continuous assessment, or at the student's option, the student can take an exam. The following elements (both compulsory) will count towards the exam:

• Written test - worth 70% of the final mark.
• Monographic work, which must be handed in at the beginning of the written test, worth 30% of the final mark.

Bibliography

Gage John D. and Tyler, Paul A. , 2002. Deep-sea biology: a natural history of organisms at the deep-sea floor. Cambridge University Press, 504 pp

Rex M.A. and Etter, R.J. 2010. Deep-sea biodiversity: pattern and scale. Harvard University Press, 354 pp.

Herring, P. 2002. The biology of the deep ocean. Oxford University Press. 314 pp.

Van Dover, C. 2000. The ecology of deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Princeton University Press, 2000 - 424 páginas

Torres, J.J. and Bailey, T.G., 2022. Life in the open Ocean: the biology of pelagic species. John Wiley & Sons.