Sciences and Natural Sciences

Professor Domenico Sgambati/Vincenzo Donnarumma

MSC 101 – 45 hrs classroom + 45 hrs lab, 4 credits (Spring and Fall)

MSC 113 – 45 hrs classroom, 3 credits (Summer Terms)

This course focuses on the biology of organisms residing in the sea, from the diversity of planktonic communities to marine megafauna, taking into consideration the ecological principles that govern marine life.The course aims to provide a solid educational background in basic and applied marine biology. Emphasis will be placed on marine environment issues and the adaptive and evolutionary mechanisms of organisms that allow them to occupy marine habitats. In particular, the Mediterranean Sea will play a central role in the course subjects, profiting from the availability of unique ecosystems and a nearby renowned marine research institute to conduct thematic field trips and practical tutorials.

REQUIREMENTS: bring a mask and a snorkle for Marine Bio field trips

45 hrs, 3 credits

Course Description

The course aims to give an introduction to the science of geology. In particular, the main types of rocks are analyzed with an emphasis on genetic processes and in relationship to plate tectonics theory.

This basic knowledge will provide a background to understand and study the main geological risks, such as volcanoes, earthquakes, floods, and landslides. Specific examples from the Apennines mountain chain and Campanian plain will be examined to contextualize these topics in the Italian environment. In addition, a significant aim of this course is for students to gain a conscious relationship with the environment. The Campania region is an ideal place for experiential learning via site visits, with the opportunity for students to witness a wide range ofgeological features.

The evaluation for the course will include mid-term and final written exams, a presentation and graphical exercises.

4 credits

Course Description

45 hrs, 3 credits

This course is an introduction to programming for the World Wide Web. Students will learn about the relationship between clients and servers, how the internet works, and how web pages are constructed using several technologies. More specifically, in the development of Web applications, the student will learn the scripting languages that can be execute on the browser or on the server and the languages adopted for the exchange of information and its management in database systems.

45 hrs, 3 credits

The course is an introduction to the main elements of geological sciences including stratigraphy laws, the maintypes of rocks, and an understanding of faults and folds. These elements will be used to understand Plate Tectonics theory.

Using this theory, different kinds of volcanoes will be analyzed, examining different magmatic compositions, igneous and pyroclastic rocks, and their geodynamic environments. The role of geologic and geomorphologic processes will be analyzed in reference to volcanic risk.

This course will also study landslides in volcanic soils (the case of Sarno mountains) and groundwater flow in volcanic aquifers and exploitation of thermal waters (the case of Ischia).

45 contact hrs, 3 credits

Please note: The course is opened only to students who major in Marine Sciences and Environmental Studies areas.

This course will focus on the key principles of marine conservation biology, analyzing the main threats for the organisms and ecosystems that inhabit the world oceans, from the marine pollution and bio-invasions to the serious problem of fisheries and ocean over-exploitation.

In the second part of the course, students will study the most important conservation approaches (fishery management, species and habitat conservation measures, etc.) and the Marine Protected Area strategies to maintain and restore the natural equilibrium.

Conservation biology emerged as a recognized field of mission-oriented scholarship about a half century ago when many terrestrial ecologists, genecists and systemacists were horrified by the gathering momentum of a great planetary extinction event. After 50 years many conservation strategies reported good data in recovering population and restoring ecosystem.

45 hrs classroom + 45 hrs lab, 4 credits

This course is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of the fundamental concepts associated with atomic models, periodic table, periodic trends, chem- ical bonds, nomenclature, reactivity and reactions, stoichiometry and nuclear chemistry. Laboratories activities are included (45 hours).

Lecture hours: 15; field hours: 10; 1 credit (intensive course, extra fee)

This course focuses on studying and discovering marine life in the Mediterranean Sea through an engaged learning approach in the coastal environment of the Marine Protected Area of Punta Campanella, located near the Sorrento peninsula. Students will identify, compare, and contrast the biology of marine organisms, including seaweed, seagrass, invertebrates, and vertebrates. In four days they will evaluate and assess the ecological principles governing marine life, paying special attention to the consequences of human impacts on natural ecosystems. Students will actively participate in data collection, sampling, analysis, lab activities, and supervised outdoor field excursions.