- Credit Points
- 15
- Course Coordinator
- Dr M Solan
Pre-requisites
At Second year: Either Ocean Biology (BI 25Z2) or Invertebrate Life (BI 25Z1)
At Third year: Marine Ecology and Ecosystems (ZO 3508)
Notes
This course will make an ideal companion to Marine Benthic Ecology (ZO 4808).
Overview
The abyssal and hadal environments is one of the last habitats on earth to be explored. If this valuable resource is to be protected and conserved for the benefit of future generations, a better understanding of the deepest parts of the ocean is urgently needed. The hadal environment, defined as depths greater than 6000m and extending to 10,989m at the deepest point on the earth, represents the most extreme conditions for life.
This course will describe the history of the discovery of the true depth of the oceans from early circumnavigations of the globe to detailed description of the hadal regions during the 1960s. The unique submersibles, manned and unmanned, that have descended to these depths will be described and the stories of their expeditions presented and set into context. The only human visitors to the Challenger deep were Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh on board the bathyscapth, Trieste in 1960.
The hadal regions are mainly confined to deep ocean trenches where earth's crust is descending beneath the continents. This requires an understanding of continental drift, plate tectonics and dynamics of the earth. Oceanography of abyssal and hadal regions will be reviewed together with what is known of its physical characteristics. Deep sea research began with the assertion by Forbes in 1843 that no life could exist at depths greater 600m. It has since been discovered that whilst the abundance of life does decrease with depth animals do survive at 6000m and there are documented examples of hadal fauna. Finally the course will conclude with a section on conservation and the vulnerability of the hadal zone to pollution, as the ultimate sink for wastes produced by man. Where appropriate case studies will illustrate key concepts by example. Relevant theory, applications and sampling/data analysis approaches will be obtained from lectures, discussions and primary journal article readings.
Structure
Thread I: 3 two-hour lectures per week (on campus), 1 all day practical (per course, not per week) at Oceanlab, Newburgh.
Assessment
1st Attempt: 1 three-hour examination (80%), 1 continuous assessment (20%).
