A&O SCI 107
Biological Oceanography
Description: Lecture, three hours; discussion, one hour. Introductory course for physical sciences, life sciences, and engineering majors interested in oceanic environment. Review of how biological processes are intrinsically tied to physical and chemical processes in oceans. Examination of processes that control distribution, abundance, and production of marine organisms and their spatial and temporal variability. Letter grading.
Units: 4.0
Units: 4.0
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2025 - I would like to preface that this class is not an easy A. The content is not necessarily hard, the tests and content did not have any calculations. However, none of his lectures are recorded, there's no textbook for this class and most of what he says are not on the slides. You really should be attending lecture (it's also mandatory since there's a participation question). As long as you try your best, review the content and go to class you should be fine. You should also brush up on your research and writing skills because the weekly essays on research papers are dense, time consuming, and confusing. He ended up curving the class up at the end but it really felt like you were in a hamster wheel to finish the weekly essays and the 2 final projects + the final test at the end. I saw a bruinwalk review before I took the class saying he downcurved the class so I guess it changes year by year. He doesn't say anything about curving in the syllabus, he just does. If you're confused, the TAs are a great resource but you will have to be the one to reach out. There's not a designated office hours except for if the TA opens time to review your midterm. Overall, if you're passionate about oceanography, you'll get to really appreciate what the content offers. It covers a wide range of content, exposure to research possibilities, and is not calculation dense compared to physical or chemical oceanography.
Spring 2025 - I would like to preface that this class is not an easy A. The content is not necessarily hard, the tests and content did not have any calculations. However, none of his lectures are recorded, there's no textbook for this class and most of what he says are not on the slides. You really should be attending lecture (it's also mandatory since there's a participation question). As long as you try your best, review the content and go to class you should be fine. You should also brush up on your research and writing skills because the weekly essays on research papers are dense, time consuming, and confusing. He ended up curving the class up at the end but it really felt like you were in a hamster wheel to finish the weekly essays and the 2 final projects + the final test at the end. I saw a bruinwalk review before I took the class saying he downcurved the class so I guess it changes year by year. He doesn't say anything about curving in the syllabus, he just does. If you're confused, the TAs are a great resource but you will have to be the one to reach out. There's not a designated office hours except for if the TA opens time to review your midterm. Overall, if you're passionate about oceanography, you'll get to really appreciate what the content offers. It covers a wide range of content, exposure to research possibilities, and is not calculation dense compared to physical or chemical oceanography.
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Most Helpful Review
Spring 2024 - Professor Eagle was a decent lecturer. Fair warning, he reads directly off his slides and has a pretty quiet, monotone voice. Lecture attendance isn't mandatory and CAN give you extra credit if you don't miss more than a certain number (I think around four or six). The content is very YMMV; if you love talking about plankton, you'll find it interesting. If reading research papers (and writing and presenting about them every week) sounds boring and tedious to you, you won't like this class very much. He does show some fun videos about jellyfish and has guest speakers occasionally. I guess an apt word for this class is just... tedious. We had upwards of five deadlines per week, depending on the content, and got very little explanation on the final projects, which were to write our own NSF style grant proposals and create some kind of community science/science education media. I don't feel like I learned all that much considering how much time I spent listening to him talk, but you live and you learn. ALSO be warned that though he does not specify this whatsoever in the syllabus, he WILL curve DOWN. I personally had my grade curved from an A (95%) to a B+ after getting a perfect score on the final and was not super excited about that. It was especially irritating that he told us he would be generous with us considering all that was happening on campus and in the world... and then preceded to do the opposite of that. I would not take this class again, but if the topic really appeals to you it's not the worst class ever.
Spring 2024 - Professor Eagle was a decent lecturer. Fair warning, he reads directly off his slides and has a pretty quiet, monotone voice. Lecture attendance isn't mandatory and CAN give you extra credit if you don't miss more than a certain number (I think around four or six). The content is very YMMV; if you love talking about plankton, you'll find it interesting. If reading research papers (and writing and presenting about them every week) sounds boring and tedious to you, you won't like this class very much. He does show some fun videos about jellyfish and has guest speakers occasionally. I guess an apt word for this class is just... tedious. We had upwards of five deadlines per week, depending on the content, and got very little explanation on the final projects, which were to write our own NSF style grant proposals and create some kind of community science/science education media. I don't feel like I learned all that much considering how much time I spent listening to him talk, but you live and you learn. ALSO be warned that though he does not specify this whatsoever in the syllabus, he WILL curve DOWN. I personally had my grade curved from an A (95%) to a B+ after getting a perfect score on the final and was not super excited about that. It was especially irritating that he told us he would be generous with us considering all that was happening on campus and in the world... and then preceded to do the opposite of that. I would not take this class again, but if the topic really appeals to you it's not the worst class ever.
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