The Boston University Marine Program provides a rigorous interdisciplinary education in Marine Science. Our curriculum encompasses the biological, physical, chemical, geological, and spatial dynamics of marine systems. All Marine Science majors complete Introductory Oceanography and Marine Biology courses, three upper-level Marine Breadth courses designed to cover the breadth of Marine Science, and four upper-level Marine Semester courses. The Marine Semester is a demanding sequence of four, consecutive, research-based courses. This often-transformative experience integrates faculty research and teaching, immerses students in the research process, and exposes them to current issues impacting marine ecosystems. Our goal is to provide an education that provides an unparalleled understanding of the world’s oceans, the organisms that live within them, and their interactions with people.
BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Biological oceanography is the study of life in the oceans—the distribution, abundance, and production of marine species along with the processes that govern them, the relationships among them, and their interactions with the ocean environment, ranging in scale from populations to ecosystems.
Faculty with interests in this area: Peter Buston; Sarah Davies; Ethan Deyle; Wally Fulweiler; Sal Genovese; Phil Lobel; Ranjan Muthukrishnan; Alyssa Novak; Catherine West
MARINE BIOLOGY
Marine Biology is the study of organisms in the oceans. Scale ranges from sub-cellular (genetics, cell and molecular biology), to sub-organismal (neurobiology and physiology), to organismal (ecology, evolution, and behavior).
Faculty with interests in this area: Peter Buston; Sarah Davies; John Finnerty; Sal Genovese; Les Kaufman; Phil Lobel; Jeff Marlow; Ranjan Muthukrishnan; Alyssa Novak; Randi Rotjan; Catherine West
PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Physical Oceanography is the study of the structure and movement of the ocean, ocean transport, interactions of the ocean’s physical structure with the biological and chemical processes within it, and interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere.
Faculty with interests in this area: Bruce Anderson; Sergio Fagherazzi; Duncan FitzGerald; Zoe Hughes ; Xiaozhou Ruan
CHEMICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
Chemical Oceanography is the study of the chemistry of the oceans, chemical composition, speciation, and transformation, internal cycling of chemical species within the oceans, and the role of the oceans in global geochemical and biogeochemical cycles.
Faculty with interests in this area: Cedric Fichot; Wally Fulweiler; Andy Kurtz
MARINE GEOLOGY & GEOPHYSICS
Marine Geology and Geophysics is the study of the structure of the earth beneath the oceans, the processes that shape the seafloor and coast, the interactions between geological, physical, chemical, and biological systems.
Faculty with interests in this area: Sergio Fagherazzi; Duncan FitzGerald; Zoe Hughes; Andy Kurtz; Jeff Marlow
MARINE SPATIAL DYNAMICS
Marine Spatial Dynamics is multidisciplinary research dealing with spatial analysis and modeling, GIS and remote sensing, data mining and information visualization for marine ecosystems.
Faculty with interests in this area: Cedric Fichot; Suchi Gopal; Ranjan Muthukrishnan