Marine Science Course Syllabus Spring 2005

Ms. Nichols: Instructor

Textbook: An Introduction to the Biology of Marine Life, James Sumich WCB/McGraw Hill 1999

Various supplemental texts, videos, articles will be utilized to enhance the course content. Field trips and laboratories will also be utilized to provide graphic examples of material presented.

Course Overview: The oceans account for 2/3 of the Earth’s surface and are vital to the maintenance of life on Earth, as we know it. . On a smaller scale, we live on a small island in the midst of the Caribbean Sea and we depend on it for food, recreation and the maintenance of our economy. It is critical that we understand our marine environment and preserve it

This course will provide and introduction to the flora and fauna of the marine environment. The course is designed for the introductory marine biology student and no previous knowledge of marine biology is assumed, however basic biology I is a prerequisite. Selected groups of marine organisms will be used to develop an understanding of biological principles and processes that are basic to all forms of life in the sea. The ocean’s role in our climate and weather will also be discussed as well as the importance of ocean currents and upwelling.

Course Outline

1. Introductory Concepts
   1. The Ocean as a Habitat
      1. Ocean continents and basins
      2. Properties of water
      3. Properties of seawater
      4. Ocean as a two layered system
      5. Benthic and pelagic divisions
   2. Ecological and Biological Concepts
      1. Prokaryotes and eukaryotes and the processing of energy
      2. Special adaptations to salt water
      3. Trophic relationships in marine communities
      4. Fluid environment relationships vs terrestrial environment relationship
2. Marine Primary Producers
   1. Phytoplankton
      1. Need to classify
      2. Cyanobacteria
      3. Chrysophyta
      4. Dinophyta
      5. General characteristics
   2. Marine Plants
      1. Benthic plants as compared to phytoplankton
      2. Green algae (Chlorophyta)
      3. Brown algae (Phaeophyta)
      4. Red algae (Rhotophyta)
      5. Flowering plants (Anthophyta)
   3. Primary Production in the Sea
      1. Rates of photosynthesis of phytoplankton and marine plants
      2. Marine autotrophs that complement the light absorption of chlorophyll
      3. Spatial separation of light and nutrient requirements of primary producers
3. Diversity of Marine Animals
   1. Protozoans and Invertebrates
      1. Phyla represented
      2. Major evolutionary trends
      3. Most abundant species
         1. Protozoans
         2. Porifera
         3. Echinodermata
         4. Coelenterata
         5. Arthropoda - Crustaceans
         6. Mollusca
   2. Marine Vertebrates
      1. Structural features common to vertebrates
      2. Fish are the most abundant group
         1. Agnatha
         2. Chondrichthyes
         3. Osteichthyes
      3. Marine tetrapods-reptiles, birds, and mammals
      4. Special adaptations of marine mammals and birds
4. Benthic Communities
   1. The intertidal zone
      1. The sea bottom as a habitat
      2. Environmental complexity caused by tides
      3. Regions of the intertidal zone
      4. Sandy beaches and muddy shores
   2. Estuaries
      1. Types
      2. Circulation and salinity
      3. Sediments and habitats
      4. Wetlands
         1. temperate wetlands-salt marshes
         2. tropical wetlands-mangrove swamps
         3. mudflats
      5. Economic uses of estuaries
   3. Coral Reefs-rainforests in the sea
      1. Coral anatomy, reproduction, and growth
      2. Distribution and ecology of corals
      3. Formation and types of coral reefs
      4. Zonation in coral reefs
      5. Fish associated with coral reefs
      6. Symbiotic relationships in reef communities
      7. Catastrophic mortality of coral reefs-natural and anthropogenic
   4. Below the tides
      1. Factors that influence living conditions of the bottom
      2. Continental shelves
      3. The abyss
      4. Energy transfer from the sea surface to the sea floor
      5. Inhabitants of the deep sea floor
      6. Deep sea hot springs
5. The Pelagic Realm
   1. Zooplankton
   2. Nekton-(fish)
   3. Nekton-Migration, Sensory Reception, and Reproduction
6. Human Intervention in the Sea
   1. Food from the Sea
      1. Marine food species
      2. Major world fishing areas
      3. Mariculture
      4. Problems of overexploitation
      5. International regulation
   2. Ocean Pollution
      1. Sewage
      2. Toxic pollutants
      3. Research in progress
      4. Oil on water
      5. Marine debris
      6. Our responsibility-developing a sense of stewardship