|
Course Registration Course Schedules/Locations Academic Policies & Procedures (students - read student section) Member Institutions (find the Consortium contact at your school) Weather Alert (check for possible class cancellations) |
Marine Biology
Course Outline
Course Overview:
The study of life in the sea - marine biology - is seemingly as diverse as the organisms inhabiting the oceans. All aspects of biology are represented in this field, including cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, embryology, behavioral science, and ecology. Three unifying themes connect these endeavors. One is the study of adaptation, or the investigation of how marine organisms at all levels of organization cope with and are successful in the demanding environment of the sea. Another theme is evolution - how the biota of the sea and its adaptations have come to be. Thirdly, the unifying study of nutrient cycling and energy flow in the marine environment has assumed great importance as we seek to understand the structure of marine communities and the influence of humankind on the ocean's biota. In addition, knowledge of life in the sea must be placed in context of the physical and chemical aspects unique to the oceans. An understanding of the evolution of marine life and the communities of organisms we see today is intertwined with appreciation of the immense changes in ocean basin structure, currents, and climate that have occurred over geological time. Thus, "marine biology" is an eclectic science, drawing upon insights gained in many seemingly disparate fields for its advancement. In this course we will explore many facets of marine biology to gain an appreciation of the breadth of this field and the diversity of life forms that have solved the challenges of existence in the sea.
Course Goals:
We will work toward four goals that will focus our efforts at understanding the major aspects of marine biology. We will: 1. Examine form, function, and adaptations of representative marine organisms to learn the secrets of their survival and success. 2. Develop an evolutionary perspective of the ocean and its inhabitants to find how the present conditions have come to be. 3. Investigate the many marine habitat types to discover the typical organisms and adaptations found in each. 4. Seek for and examine structure in the marine realm, including evidence of such organizing forces as competition, predation, parasitism, mutualism, nutrient cycling, and energy flow.
Course Structure:
This Marine Biology course consists of a lecture (Wednesdays, 3:40-6:40 PM) and laboratory session (Thursdays, 6:10-9:10 PM). In addition, several weekend field trips will be scheduled depending on agreeable arrangements. Lectures will assume knowledge of assigned textbook readings and will be supplemented by reserve references for in-class discussion. Lab sessions will present organisms from several local marine habitats; nearly all major groups (phyla) of marine organisms are represented in our local waters. Students will learn the basic principles of invertebrate and phycological taxonomy in hands-on work with the sample material and with other illustrative organisms. Other lab sessions will adopt an experimental approach to energy flow in the sea. An independent project will encourage students to investigate original questions developed in lab sessions and field trips. The project write-up will be in the form of a scientific paper.
Course Grading:
Mid-term exam: 20% Final exam: 35% Lab reports : 15% Independent project: 30%
I assume that all students are familiar with the principles of academic integrity, which include the appropriate acknowledgment of information sources and the unique origins of one's own work. The Marine Studies Consortium demands nothing less, as do I.
Text and Readings:
Text: Jeffrey S. Levinton (1995) Marine Biology: Function, Biodiversity, Ecology
Oxford University Press, 420pps.
Reserve Readings: Jan A. Pechenik (1996) Biology of the Invertebrates, 3rd Edition, WCB/McGraw Hill, 576pps.
Reading Assignments:
The reading assigments are an essential part of this class. Please make sure you come to class having read the assigned chapters from the text. Starting Week 3, we will begin discussion sessions; these will run for 1 hour of the 3 hour lecture period. I will place several articles from the primary literature covering material about the habitats and organisms we are covering that week in class in the library. You will be responsible for reading these articles critically. During the discussion session, I will randomly choose 3 people to "run" the discussion session. No one will know ahead of time if they will be chosen as the discussion session leader--thus everyone should be fully prepared to undertake the leadership position. Occassionally these discussion sessions will be replaced by a guest speaker.
Laboratory Note Book:
Laboratory notes will be handed out at the Tuesday lecture session prior to the Friday laboratory. You will need a laboratory notebook with ruled high quality paper. In each lab, you will sketch the animals we are working on, make notes on their behaviors, and write up the lab.
Academic Dishonesty:
Academic honesty requires, but is not limited to the following: (1) appropriately citing all published and unpublished sources, whether quoted, paraphrased, or expressed otherwise in all of the student's oral and written work; (2) completing your own work.
Plagiarism occurs when someone claims as their own the ideas, literal works or paraphrased works of another. These works may or may not be published. The minimum penalty for plagiarism will be a 0 on your paper or lab book. Cheating is attempting to present as your own, work that you have not performed or using improper means to pass an examination. The minimum penalty for cheating on an exam will result in a 0 for a score. Students should also be aware that academic dishonesty includes stealing, copying, or destroying another person's work (in our case, the lab book or final paper); theft or unauthorized removal of books or reserved readings from the library; and fabricating results or laboratory exercises.
COURSE SYLLABUS
| Lecture | Topic | Chapters | |||||||||||||||
| Week 1 |
Course Introduction The Ocean Realm: The World's Oceans; The Sea Floor (basins, continential crust, plate tectonics, continential margins, hydrothermal vents); Ocean Gyres and Currents |
Ch. 2 Reserved Readings I |
|||||||||||||||
| Week 2 |
Seawater: Properties of Seawater, Seawater as
a Biological Medium, Motion of Seawater (Coriolis effect, wind patterns,
waves, tides, vertical motion) Ecological principles: Energy Flow, Ecological Processes |
Ch. 3, 4 | |||||||||||||||
| Week 3 |
The Open Sea--Life Adrift: Plankton & Plankton Communities
Adaptations to Planktonic Life: Buoyancy, Life in Moving Fluids,
Camouflage, Defensive Mechanisms Plants: A Rarity Discussion Session |
Ch. 6,7,9,10,12 Discussion Readings I |
|||||||||||||||
| Week 4 |
Invertebrates I: - Sponges: Gutless, Organless, Aggregations of Cells - Cnidarians: The beginning of Tissues - Ctenophores: The Non-Cnidarian Jellies - Marine Worms: Flatworms, Ribbon Worms, Nematodes, Annelids, Sipunculans, Ponogonophorans - Lophoporates: Bryozoans, Brachiopods, Phoronids Discussion Session |
Reserved Readings II Discussion Readings II |
|||||||||||||||
| Week 5 |
Invertebrates II:
- Molluscs: Gastropods,
Bivalves, Cephalopods, Chitons - Arthropods: Relics of the Past--Trilobites, Chelicerata--Spiders of the Sea, Crustaceans |
Reserved Readings III |
|||||||||||||||
| Week 6 |
Invertebrates III - Echinoderms: Hydraulic Locomotion and Prickly Bodies - Hemichordates Early Chordates: Tunicates, Lancelets |
Reserved Readings IV Discussion Readings III |
|||||||||||||||
| Week 7 |
Chordates I: Fishes Adaptations to Marine Living I Discussion Session NOTE: Paper Topics and Outlines Due |
Reserved Readings V Week 8 |
Chordates II: Reptiles, Mammals, Birds |
Adaptations to Marine Living II Midterm Exam (1 week take home) Covers Chapters 2-4, 6-7, 9-10,12, Reserved Readings I-V, Discussion Readings I-III, and Laboratory Exercises Discussion Readings IV | Week 9 |
Marine Habitats/Ecosystems I:
- The Intertidal (rocky, soft bottom) |
- Estuaries - Salt Marshes - The Subtidal Video: Cathedrals of the Sea (Kelp forests of the Pacific Northwest) Ch. 5,13,14 |
Discussion Readings V Week 10 |
Marine Habitats/Ecosystems II: |
- Kelp Forests - Coral Reefs Video: Jewel of the Caribbean Discussion Session Ch. 15 |
Discussion Readings VI Week 11 |
Marine Habitats/Ecosystems III: |
- Deep Sea; Hydrothermal Vent Communities Video: Creatures of the Deep Guest Lecture: Jon Witman Ch. 16 |
Week 12 |
Final Exam (2 hours) |
Covers Chapters 5, 13-16, Discussion Readings IV-VI, and Laboratory Exercises Term Papers Due - |
|