Marine Science is an interdisciplinary program dealing with the study of the world’s oceans: their physical and biological constituents, the influence of oceanic resources on human society and the conservation and future development of those resources.
The program offers the following areas of study:
Marine biologists study the structure and function of marine organisms from the cell and molecular level to their role in ecosystem function. Research at UM focuses on tropical marine and coral reef ecology, fisheries conservation and management, and the use of marine organisms as models for environmental stress and human disease.
Marine chemists study the biogeochemical cycling of nutrients, the impact and fate of marine pollutants, marine geochemistry and ocean/atmosphere interactions. Research at UM focuses on the role of ocean processes in carbon cycling and global climate change.
Ocean modelers and computer scientists provide the skills and expertise required for research in applied aspects of ocean science and management. Research at UM focuses on development of algorithms for data capture, visualization and analysis, model development, instrumentation programming and remote sensing applications. This double major BS program includes a minor in Mathematics
This double major program prepares students for the study of the origin of the Earth and its oceans, and the ongoing processes of geophysical and geochemical change. Research at UM focuses on carbonate sedimentology of the Florida reef tract, stable isotope geochemistry and micropaleontology of deep ocean cores to reconstruct paleoclimate, tectonic processes (volcanoes and earthquakes), and the impact of rising sea level on coastal systems.
Marine biologists interested in Microbiology and Immunology study marine microbial communities, the interactions between microbes and their hosts, immune defenses of marine organisms, and the role of marine animal models in biomedicine and immunology. This is an interdisciplinary field that considers the role of microbes and immune defense in marine organisms at the molecular, cellular, organismal, and ecosystem level.
This double major physical science based curriculum, which includes a Mathematics minor, is ideal for those interested in the physical aspects of climate, well as the interaction of the ocean and the atmosphere. The Meteorology curriculum follows the program guidelines established by the American Meteorological Society.
Physical oceanographers study the spatial and temporal variability in the ocean. Measurements from current meters, profilers and satellites are used to develop models of ocean circulation, water and heat transport, and effects of circulation patterns on the biology and chemistry of the ocean. Research at UM focuses on ocean/atmosphere interactions, remote sensing, biophysical interactions, and the ocean’s effect on weather and climate.
