Learning objectives and Critical Concepts

What each chapter of OCNG 251 asks you to be able to do, and which Critical Concepts it draws on. 54 objectives across 16 chapters, and 90 chapter-to-concept links.

Partly reviewed. 3 of 16 chapters were reviewed by Jinbo Wang on 2026-08-14. Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 5, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16 have been revised since and are awaiting review, so their content is not covered by that approval. Accessibility review is a separate decision and is still pending, so this page does not claim to meet an accessibility standard.

Where each Critical Concept is used

A filled mark means the chapter lists that concept. Concepts recur by design — the same idea is meant to return in a new setting rather than be finished with.

Which Critical Concepts each chapter draws on. Rows are chapters, columns are Critical Concepts, and a cell reads Yes where the chapter lists that concept.
Chapter	CC1 Density and Layering in Fluids	CC2 Isostasy, Eustasy, and Sea Level	CC3 Convection and Convection Cells	CC4 Particle Size, Sinking, Deposition, and Resuspension	CC5 Transfer and Storage of Heat by Water	CC6 Salinity, Temperature, Pressure, and Water Density	CC7 Radioactivity and Age Dating	CC8 Residence Time	CC9 The Global Greenhouse Effect	CC10 Modeling	CC11 Chaos	CC12 The Coriolis Effect	CC13 Geostrophic Flow	CC14 Phototrophy, Light, and Nutrients	CC15 Food Chain Efficiency	CC16 Maximum Sustainable Yield	CC17 Species Diversity and Biodiversity	CC18 Toxicity	CC19 Metagenomics	Course concept 1 Evidence and Inference	Course concept 2 Interdisciplinary Ocean Science	Total
1 The Ocean Planet	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	5
2 History and Importance of Ocean Studies	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	8
3 Studying the Oceans	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	4
4 Plate Tectonics and the Evolution of the Ocean Floor	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	6
5 Water and Seawater	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	9
6 Ocean Sediments	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	9
7 Ocean–Atmosphere Interactions	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	10
8 Ocean Circulation	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	9
9 Waves	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	4
10 Tides	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	1
11 Coasts	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	3
12 Foundations of Life in the Oceans	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	5
13 Coastal Ocean and Estuaries	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	6
14 Marine Ecology	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	2
15 Ocean Ecosystems	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	5
16 Impacts of Humans on the Oceans	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	4

CC1 Density and Layering in Fluids
CC2 Isostasy, Eustasy, and Sea Level
CC3 Convection and Convection Cells
CC4 Particle Size, Sinking, Deposition, and Resuspension
CC5 Transfer and Storage of Heat by Water
CC6 Salinity, Temperature, Pressure, and Water Density
CC7 Radioactivity and Age Dating
CC8 Residence Time
CC9 The Global Greenhouse Effect
CC10 Modeling
CC11 Chaos
CC12 The Coriolis Effect
CC13 Geostrophic Flow
CC14 Phototrophy, Light, and Nutrients
CC15 Food Chain Efficiency
CC16 Maximum Sustainable Yield
CC17 Species Diversity and Biodiversity
CC18 Toxicity
CC19 Metagenomics
C1 Evidence and Inference
C2 Interdisciplinary Ocean Science

CC1–CC19 are the textbook's numbered Critical Concepts. C1 and C2 are written for this course and are not part of that numbered set. Every concept has its own page, with a demonstration and the misconception it corrects, in Concepts.