Through a study of marine biology, marine ecology and oceanography, this program will examine marine organisms, the physical/chemical properties of their environments as well as their adaptations to those environments and the interactions between organisms. Students will focus on the identification of major groups of marine organisms, key aspects of the ecology of selected species and marine habitats, and develop their understanding of contemporary impacts on the marine habitat. Physiological adaptations to diverse marine environments and the evolutionary history of life in the sea will also be emphasized.
Winter quarter will cover fundamental principles of ocean science and marine biology, including composition, structure and dynamics of the marine habitat, and the biology of major taxonomic groups of animals, plants, and algae. There will be lab and field work to explore local marine habitats and learn a variety of analytical techniques and sampling methods. Data collected in these activities will be analyzed using Excel spreadsheets and elementary statistics. In a seminar, students will learn about current research in marine science and gain an understanding of the scientific process by analyzing and presenting scientific primary literature.
Spring will focus on marine ecology examining the factors that determine the distribution, adaptations and productivity of organisms in selected habitats. In addition, advanced topics in marine science such as marine paleontology, conservation biology, harmful algal blooms and the role of marine life in the carbon cycle will be presented. Seminar will be devoted to learning how to design and conduct scientific research. Students in teams will select a topic and complete a review of the pertinent scientific literature. Based on this review they will design a formal research proposal given specific time and resource constraints. The proposal will then undergo a competitive review process. Lab and field work will be devoted to completing several faculty-designed research projects. Students will rotate through these projects learning various lab and field methods to complete research and generate data. In the latter half of the quarter, students will select one of the project's datasets to analyze and will present their results through an abstract and an oral presentation. Day trips to local museums and aquariums will be part of the experiential learning in both quarters.
Anticipated credit equivalencies:
Registration
General Biology (2 quarters), General Chemistry (2 quarters)
Academic Details
marine science, environmental science, marine policy
Winter: $70 fee covers museum entrance ($20) and lab fee ($50). Spring: $65 fee covers aquarium entrance ($15) and lab fee ($50)
Upper division science credit may be awarded in marine ecology, biological oceanography and independent research upon fulfillment of stated learning objectives.
Spring quarter will include work on group research projects