Patrick T. Schwing ’06

Assistant Professor of Marine Science

GMSL 119A

Degrees

  • Ph.D., Chemical Oceanography, University of South Florida
  • B.S., Marine Science (Geology), Eckerd College

Courses taught

    • Geological Oceanography
    • Introduction to Oceanography
    • Earth System History
    • Marine Invertebrate Paleontology
    • Chemical and Physical Oceanography
    • Natural History of the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador (Winter Term)
    • Deep Sea Exploration (Winter Term)
    • Marine Pollution
    • Scientist at Sea
    • Marine Research in Tobago (Winter Term)

Research interests

My research program addresses societally relevant and globally significant issues concerning the assessment of diverse human activities including land-use development impacts, deep sea mining, oil spills, and the distribution and impacts of microplastics on marine systems. I currently have multiple projects in progress with undergraduate student involvement at all stages from proposal to fieldwork, laboratory and publication.  Some selected outreach products can be viewed here:  Why Did ‘Shocking’ Amounts of BP Oil Fall to the Seafloor?, National Geographic, April 18, 2015 and Little Critters that tell a BIG Story: Benthic Foraminifera and the Gulf Oil Spill, Smithsonian, June 2014.

Select publications