Overview of Course

More than 3 billion people and 2 million species rely on the ocean for their livelihood. Aboard the MV World Odyssey, we will experience first-hand the importance of the sea to coastal communities, ecosystems, and ourselves as passengers! This course will delve into the interdisciplinary nature of oceanography by studying its geological (e.g., plate tectonics, sediments), chemical (e.g., salinity, nutrients), physical (e.g., waves, currents), and biological components (e.g., ecosystems, organisms). We will discuss how these disciplines interact to shape our planet's oceans. Additionally, we will consider how global climate change affects oceanographic features, through acidification, sea-level rise, and warming seas. While aboard the MV World Odyssey, we will make oceanographic observations from the deck and discuss how these factors shape our journey. We will also learn from diverse cultures during port country explorations, gaining insights into different perspectives on ocean use and conservation. We will learn about how the unique features of the ocean in each region interact with the people who live there, and how global climate change is impacting different societies and ecosystems. The main goal of studying the ocean on our journey is to understand its interconnectedness with human societies, global biodiversity, and climate change. Informed by our voyage experiences, we will emerge from this course with a holistic understanding of oceanographic processes and their effects on life on Earth.