Course Description
Saltwater habitats make up approximately 97% of planet Earth鈥檚 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 and lab syllabus .