GEOG441

Prerequisite: GEOG140; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department; or permission of BSOS-Geography department. Credit only granted for: GEOG441 or GEOG498C. Formerly: GEOG498C. Introduction to coastal oceanography, focusing on the physical, biological, and geological aspects of ocean areqs on the inner continental shelves. Wave, currents, and tidal dynamics of bays, open coast, estuaries, and deltas. Sedimentary environments of major coastal types. Ecology and biogeochemical relationships, including benthic and planktonic characteristics. Coastal evolution with sea level rise. Human impacts: eutrophication, modification of sedimentation. The coastal future: rising sea level, hypoxia, and increased storminess.