Overview
Class starts at 8:00 or 8:30 in the morning from Monday to Friday. Typically, mornings will start with a student synthesis of data, findings, and questions from previous day’s lab, followed by next lectures. Afternoon labs will most often be related to the morning lectures. The schedule is flexible and will be updated throughout the course.
Meal timing
Breakfast: 7:30-8:00 (Mon-Fri) || 08:00 breakfast (Sat) || 10:30 brunch (Sun)
Lunch: 12:00-13:00 (Mon-Sat)
Coffee break: 15:00-15:15 (Mon-Fri)
Dinner: 17:00-18:00 (Mon-Sun)
Lecture videos are available on: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOceanOpticsClass.
Week One
| Date | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| 19/05/2025 Monday | - Welcome to Maine and the Darling Marine Center & introductions of class members and instructors - Lecture 1: Overview of light in water (PG) [PDF] | - Lab 1: Playing with Light (PG+all) [PDF] |
| 20/05/2025 Tuesday | - Student presentations of data and results from Lab 1 - Lecture 2: Absorption Part 1 : theoretical basis of absorption and fluorescence (ME) [PDF] - Lecture 3: Absorption Part 2: approaches for measuring absorption (ME) [PDF] | - Lab 2: Absorption by dissolved material with ac-9 / ac-s and spectrophotometer (ME+all) [PDF] |
| 21/05/2025 Wednesday | - Student presentations of data and results from Lab 2 - Lecture 4: Scattering & Beam attenuation theory (WHS) [PDF] | - Lab 3: Absorption by particles [IC, SJK + all] [PDF] |
| 22/05/2025 Thursday | - Student presentations of data and results from Lab 3 - Lecture 5: Scattering and beam attenuation measurements (WHS) [PDF] - Lecture 6: Particle size distribution overview (ME) [PDF] | - Lab 4: Scattering, beam attenuation, VSF lab (WHS, PCG, CM +all) [PDF] |
| 23/05/2025 Friday | - Student presentations of data and results from Lab 4 - Lecture 7: Fluorescence in the ocean (IC) [PDF] - Lab 5: Chlorophyll fluorescence lab (IC, SK, ME) [PDF] | - Lab 5 continued! |
Week Two
| Date | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| 26/05/2025 Monday | - Student presentations of data and results from Lab 5 -Lecture 8: Tour of (living) particles in the ocean (SJK) [PDF] - Lecture 9: Tour of (dead) particles in the ocean (WHS/MLE) [PDF] | - Lecture 10: Mie Theory and Implications in Ocean Optics (PCG) [PDF] -Lab 6: Mie Theory Lab (PCG) [PDF] -Overview of Inline System and Walkthrough (PCG) |
| 27/05/2025 Tuesday | - Student presentations of biogeochemical proxies - Lecture 10: Radiometry and Light (AB) [PDF] - Lecture 11: Radiative Transfer Equation (CM) [PDF] | - Lab 7: Hydrolight Lab (CM) [PDF] |
| 28/05/2025 Wednesday | - Student presentations of data and results from Lab 7 - Lecture 12: Radiometric quantities, AOPs, and their measurement (AB) [PDF] -Lecture 13: Introduction to Remote Sensing (SK, KB) [PDF] | - Lab 8: Radiometric measurements in-water and above-water (AB, AB+all) [PDF] |
| 29/05/2025 Thursday | - Student presentations of data and results from Lab 8 - Lecture 14: Life of a Photon (JW) [PDF] - Lecture 15: LiDAR (KB) | - Lab 9: LiDAR (KB) |
| 30/05/2025 Friday | - Student presentations of data and results from Lab 9 - Lecture 16: Polarization (PG) - Lecture 17: Cal/Val Part 1 (calibration) (AB) | - Lab 10: Polarized Scattering and Measurements and Play (PCG, WHS, DK) |
Week Three
| Date | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| 02/06/2025 Monday | - Student presentations of data and results from Lab 5 - Student project ideas - Lecture 18: Atmospheric Correction (JW) | - Lab 11: Analyzing Inline Oceanographic Data (InlineAnalysis) (AC) |
| 03/06/2025 Tuesday | - Student Cruise on the R/V Bowditch (Group 1) - Lecture 18: Satellite Ocean Color Processing with SeaDAS (JW) and Access with earthaccess (PG) (Group 2) | Groups 1 and 2 Swap |
| 04/06/2025 Wednesday | - Cruise Debrief - Processing Cruise Samples and Data | - HyperCP Training (PG) and IFCB Training (AC) |
| 05/06/2025 Thursday | - Student presentations of data from cruise - Lecture 19: Statistical/empirical algorithms (JW/AC) - Lecture 20: Semi-analytical inversion algorithms (JW/AC) | - Lecture 21: PCC retrievals lecture (APC) - Lab 13: Semi-analytical inversions & uncertainties lab (JW/PG) |
| 06/06/2025 Friday | - Student presentations of data and results from Lab 13 - Lecture 22: Cal/Val Part 2 (satellite validation) (JW/APC) | - Lecture 23: Cal/Val Part 3 (interpretation and consideration of uncertainties) (AC/JW/CM) - Open time for Q&A, sticky data questions, and projects - Lecture 24: Lobster Lecture (JW) |
Week Four
| Date | Morning | Afternoon |
|---|---|---|
| 09/06/2025 Monday | - Student presentations of preliminary cruise and project analysis - Lecture 24: Monte Carlo methods and activity [MLE] | - Lecture 25: Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Modeling (RF) |