Marine Science Institute

College of Science
University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City

I. Institution of a GE Course in Marine Science

Course Number: MS 1
Course Title: Oceans and Us
Course Description: An appreciation course on the functional balance between
the health of the oceans and the survival and improvement
of our way of life.
Course Credit: 3u
Prerequisite: none
Domain: Math, Science, and Technology

Justification: Humans have steadily increasing demands upon the oceans.

As citizens of an archipelagic state, UP students should
become familiar with the concept of the oceans as an
ecosystem in order to be able to promulgate a rational
strategy for the use of this resource.

II. GE objectives met by the proposed course:

1. Broaden intellectual and cultural horizons

Case studies and news articles on marine science and environmental issues
will be used to expose students to the marine ecosystem as a thriving integral
part of everyday life.

2. Awareness of various disciplines

Discussion of marine ecosystem functions will integrate concepts from the
basic sciences (geology, physics, chemistry and biology).

3. Integration of knowledge and skills

A final project encourages students to merge the principles taken up during
the course with those of the students specific discipline in order to come up
with ways to encourage others to find means of nurturing and preserving our
resources.

III. GE mode of inquiry:

1. Quantitative and other forms of reasoning

Logical reasoning will be used in understanding how anthropogenic activities
affect the ocean environment.

2. Interpretive and aesthetic approaches

The multi-media lectures for the course are designed to enthuse in the
students a greater appreciation of the Philippine seas and its vast living
resources.

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IV. GE Competency:

1. Communication (oral and written)

The challenge in this course is for the student to explain the concept of ocean
ecosystems and ocean resource utilization in a language understandable to
the learned public, both orally and in writing.

2. Independent, creative and critical thinking

Using case studies, this course is designed to incite students to analyze
marine issues and propose plausible strategies of mitigation.

V. Number of sections to be offered for the proposed GE course:

Initially, one section with 30 students will be offered. The number of sections
to be offered in succeeding semesters will depend on the demand and on the
availability of the faculty.

VI. Availability of resources to offer the proposed GE course:

The course will be taught by Ph.D. members of the MSI faculty
Audio-visual equipment like Laptop, LCD and Overhead projectors
Classrooms

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SYLLABUS:

Course Number: MS 1
Course Title: Oceans and Us
Course Description: An appreciation course on the functional balance between
the health of the oceans and the survival and improvement
of our way of life.
Course Credit: 3u
Prerequisite: none
Domain: Math, Science, and Technology

Course objectives:
At the end of the course, the student should be able to:
1. discuss marine ecosystem functions and processes based on geological,
physical, chemical and biological concepts;
2. examine current environmental issues concerning our oceans; and
3. propose rational strategies on the use of this resource.

MARINE SCIENCE 1: Oceans and Us

1. Background (1 week)
1.1. Overview of the sciences: contract of science with humanity
1.2. Status and prospects of marine science for developing countries

2. Introduction to Marine Science (1.5 weeks)

2.1 Functions of the ocean: regulation, carrier, production and information
2.2 Aspects and processes: geological, physical, chemical, biological
2.3 Interactions of processes and effects on ecosystems
EXAM 1 (0.5 weeks)

3. Oceans as Ecosystems (4.5 weeks)

3.1 Applied ecological concepts and principles: population interactions,
community, diversity, limiting factors
3.2 Habitat estuaries, coastal areas, continental shelf, open ocean and
deep ocean
3.3 Ecosystem: integrative levels, ecological succession, biogeochemical
cycles
3.4 Ecosystems as units of sustainability
EXAM 2 (0.5 weeks)

4. Oceans as Resources: (7.5 weeks)

4.1 Utilization: extractive and non-extractive uses of living and non-living
resources
4.2. Conservation: species and genetic biodiversity; endangered, economically
important species
4.3 Management: environmental issues, marine protected areas and Law of the
Sea
EXAM 3 (0.5 weeks)

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COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Special assignment: The students will be asked to search for news articles on marine
science and environmental issues, preferably from popular scientific journals. A
predetermined number of students will make a 3-5 minute oral report on their chosen
article every week.

Project: To reflect the potential students multiple disciplines, a special project for the
semester will merge the principles taken up during the course with those of the
students specific discipline. The students have the option of working on the project
individually or as part of a group with the same course. Submission is on the last
week of classes before the final exam. Sample projects are posters/brochures for
those enrolled in advertising courses, and video presentations for those enrolled in
media courses.

Examinations: There will be a total of four examinations for the semester. The first
three covers topics discussed immediately before the exam date and after the
previous exam. The tests are scheduled for weeks 3 (parts 1 & II), 8 (part III) and 16
(part IV). Then there will be a final integrated exam.

Field exposure: The students will have a field trip aimed at exposing them to the
status of Philippine marine waters.

Teaching strategy: Lectures and class discussions with special emphasis on

Philippine case studies.

GRADING SYSTEM:

Exams 30%
Special assignments
/ class participation 20%
Project 30%
Finals 20%

Suggested readings and websites for the course:

Books:

Sverdrup, K.A., Duxburry, A.C., and Duxburry, A.B. 2005. An introduction to the
worlds oceans. New York, New York: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 514p.

H.V. Thurman and A.P. Trujillo. 1999. Essentials of Oceanography, 6th edition.
Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 527p.

Ellen J. Prager with Sylvia A. Earle. 2000. The Oceans. McGrawHill, New York,
314p.

Readings:

Alino, P. M., Aguinaldo, M. M. S., Talaue-McManus, L., and Juinio-Menez, M. A.

2001. Coastal development planning. Coastal resources management tools.
Diliman, Q.C.: MERF/UPMSI, 2001. 45p.

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Arceo, H. O., Aguinaldo, M. M. S., and Alio, P. M. 2001. An orientation on
marine protected areas. Coastal management tools. MERF, Inc./UP MSI/The
Royal Netherlands Embassy and International Development Research Center,
2001. 45p.

Juinio-Menez, M. A., Salmo III, S. G., Tamayo, E., Estepa, N., Bangi, H., and
Alio, P. M. 2000. Bugsay. Community environmental education. Experience
from Bolinao. Diliman, Q.C.: MERF/UPMSI, 2001. 126p.

McManus, L. T., Juinio-Menez, M. A., Alio, P. M., Ferrer, E. M., and Dizon, J. C.
A. 2001. Paving the way for coastal resources management: the Bolinao
experience (1993-97). U.P. MSI, UP CSWCD and Haribon Foundation for the
Conservation of Natural Resources, Inc., International Development Research-
Canada, CBCRM, 2001. 255p.

Salmo III, S. G. and Juinio-Menez, M. A. 2001. Mangrove reforestation. Coastal

resources management tools. Diliman, Q.C.: MERF/UPMSI, 2001. 44p.

Websites:

Robert H. Stewart, Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University,

Copyright 1997-2003, Open source textbook
http://oceanworld.tamu.edu/ocng_textbook/contents.html *

Exploring the Ocean World

http://www-ocean.tamu.edu/education/oceanworld/ *

Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment

http://www.ocean98.org/envir.html *

Marine Pollution
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/ocean_planet_oceans_in_p
eril.html *

Law of the Sea

http://www.un.org/Depts/los/index.htm *

* These web-based resources will be compiled in a CD and will be made

available at the MSI library. Links to these URL will be provided also at the MSI
website at http://www.msi.upd.edu.ph/.