Marine Biology

Overview

The study of marine organisms and their environment. The class will begin with a comprehensive and in-depth look into marine ecosystems. Such environmental factors as temperature, salinity, oxygen, minerals, ocean currents and depth will be discussed along with an introduction to measurement of some of these factors. The study of marine ecosystems and environmental factors will lead to and assist with the topics of conservation and the affect the earth’s oceans has on the rest of the planet’s ecology. The rest of the semester will be dedicated to marine organisms. The broad spectrum of ocean life will be investigated, from single celled photosynthetic organisms to marine mammals like whales, and all the invertebrates in between. Lab work will include collection and identification of marine organisms and study of preserved specimens. This course is designed for biology and non-biology majors. It is a great course for those interested in animal biology, veterinary fields, ecology, and marine biology.