Bruce Monger
Stephen H. Weiss Provost’s Teaching Fellow & Senior Lecturer, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
Biography
Dr. Monger received his B.A. degree from University of Washington and a Ph.D. from University of Hawaii. Monger uses satellite remote sensing methods to study environmental controls of oceans, and teaches a world-renowned training program for ocean remote sensing.
Research Interests
Rising atmospheric CO2 concentrations threaten global ocean ecosystems through the dual actions of raising ocean temperatures and ocean acidification. Monger examines a wide range of impacts cause by these twin threats that includes: impacts on coral reefs, shifts in biogeographic provinces of pelagic ecosystems, rapid changes in arctic ecosystems, global expansion of oxygen minimum zones and the broad impacts of ocean acidification. Research emphasis is on the speed at which changes are taking place and the need for rapid action to bring CO2 emissions to zero by mid-century.
Recent Research
- Monger, Bruce. 2014. "Guest Viewpoint: Researcher finds joy on seven seas".
Awards & Honors
- Weiss Provost's Teaching Fellowship (Cornell University) 2018
Courses Taught
- Introductory Oceanography: A large course that appeals to a broad range of undergraduates. The class relies more on intuitive reasoning rather than complicated mathematical formulas to convey basic concepts about how the ocean works. About 2/3 of the semester is spent covering standard topics found in almost any introductory oceanography class. The students, however, are given a much more realistic view of the role of microbes in carbon cycling in the ocean than is typically found in most introductory courses. The last third of the semester is spent describing environmental threats facing the ocean and the issue of global warming.
- Physical Oceanography: A course which covers geophysical fluid dynamics where the full equations of motion are derived from first principles and addresses observational physical oceanography topics covering a broad range of classical and contemporary issues.
- Satellite Remote Sensing Course: This course provides an intensive introduction to the practical skills needed to work independently to acquire, analyze and visualize remotely sensed data to understand ocean processes at the global scale.