Course Description
Saltwater habitats make up approximately 97% of planet Earth’s aquatic ecosystems.
The oceans contain critical habitat for a wide diversity of organisms from bacteria
to animals, and phytoplankton populations provide the number one source of oxygen
upon which most life forms depend. Ecological structure and function, chemical and
physical properties of saltwater habitats, and animal behavior and development are
some of the broad topics that are covered. Throughout the course, human impact, conservation,
and our moral call to protect and care for these critical habitats are addressed.
In the laboratory, students will use hands-on activities to explore broad concepts
in marine biology. Student activities will address concepts such as physical and chemical
properties of marine water, animal diversity, reproductive and behavioral habits of
marine organisms, social behaviors of fish, and ecological properties of the marine
environment. This course can be taken as a core life science class with instructor
approval. Prerequisites: Biology 1311, 1312.
Course Materials
A recent version of the lecture syllabus can be found here and lab syllabus here.