Our World Ocean: Understanding the Most Important Ecosystem on Earth—The Voyages

Illustrations by Nicki Shaw

Cover and Page Art by Martha Rich

Completed chapters can be downloaded at the top of each chapter page. Incomplete (unlinked) chapters will be available as they are finished, so check back often or contact us for date of availability.

Each voyage will be published separately. With fair winds and following seas, we anticipate the following publication dates:

Voyage 1: Ocean Science—Sept. 16, 2023 (International Coastal Cleanup Day)
Voyage 2: Geology and Chemistry—June 8, 2024 (World Ocean Day)
Voyage 3: Physics—June 8, 2025 (World Ocean Day)
Voyage 4: Biology—June 8, 2026 (World Ocean Day)
Voyage 5: Ecology—June 8, 2027 (World Ocean Day)

Of course, additions to our crew through the generous contributions of our supporters could accelerate our timeline.

Support our mission! Purchase teaching resources here.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

“Thank you for teaching me and opening my eyes to so many things.”

“I’ve always been interested in the ocean, but it’s just so much more fascinating now with everything I’ve learned in this course.”

“I learned a lot about the ocean that I was not aware of before! It has definitely inspired me to learn more about certain topics and to be more conscious about the environment in general.”

“I’m so glad I remembered your name from a recommendation by a former student who took your oceanography class 20 years ago. . . . You made a big impression on him and that stuck with me all these years.”

“It was a tremendous wake-up call to me, in regards to how much I needed to change in my life so that I can help contribute to the health of our planet and every living creature on it.”

“This class was very informative and I am glad I took it. Congratulations on your textbook.”

“Your care and encouragement are greatly appreciated. I did not feel stressed during your class, which was a very relaxing and calming virtual environment.”

FRONT MATTER

VOYAGE ONE: OCEAN SCIENCE

VOYAGE TWO: GEOLOGY and CHEMISTRY

VOYAGE THREE: PHYSICS

VOYAGE FOUR: BIOLOGY

Chapter 21: The Living Sea
Chapter 22: The Ocean Depth Zones
Chapter 23: The Microbial Sea
Chapter 24: Plankton, Nekton, and Benthon
Chapter 25: The Drifters I—Protists
Chapter 26: The Drifters II—Plants
Chapter 27: The Drifters III—Animals
Chapter 28: The Swimmers I: Invertebrates
Chapter 29: The Swimmers II: Jawless Fishes and Sharks
Chapter 30: The Swimmers I: Bony Fishes
Chapter 31: The Swimmers II: Reptiles and Birds
Chapter 32: The Swimmers III: Marine Mammals
Chapter 33: The Bottom Dwellers I: Plants and Protists
Chapter 34: The Bottom Dwellers II: Sponges and Corals
Chapter 35: The Bottom Dwellers III: Worms and Friends
Chapter 36: The Bottom Dwellers IV: Mollusks and Arthropods
Chapter 37: The Bottom Dwellers V: Echinoderms and Chordates

BACK MATTER

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Last Modified: July 19, 2023