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Marine Biology at Southwestern College
Course: Biology 160
Instructor: Valerie Pennington
Office Room and Phone: 311A 421-6700 ext. 5516
Faculty Mailbox: Math, Science Engineering Office, room 345 (to leave a message)
e-mail: VPenning@zoogate.zoo.hawaii.edu
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Recommended Preparation: Appropriate reading test score or course
Required Textbooks: James L. Sumich. 1996. An Introduction to the Biology of Marine Life (6th edition). Wm. C. Brown Publishers.
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Introduction and Course Description:
This course is designed for the introductory college level student. In Marine Biology we will be surveying ocean life, i.e., life in salty water. This course will include not only life in the ocean far out to sea, but also life in coastal regions, including that exposed by low tides (intertidal life). Our survey will be quite broad, from microscopic plants and animals, called plankton, that drift or move feebly in the ocean currents, to invertebrates (animals without backbones) to fish, marine mammals, and seabirds. In a sense, we will really be surveying most of the plant and animal world, since the vast majority of species, excluding insects, are marine forms. We will also examine life at the "ecosystem" level, i.e., assemblages of plants and animals found in different marine habitats, such as coral reef, mangrove swamp, and sea-grass bed assemblages. As you will learn, sealife in specific habitats is quite specialized. For example, there are dramatic differences between organisms living at the sea surface and those at the very depth of the ocean. Not only are there differences in color and body form, but also in the structures these organisms use to sense their environment, to move, and to be energetically efficient.
To examine marine life at the ecosystem level we will also need to understand the concept of productivity. Productivity, to a biologist, means how many grams of dry matter (essentially carbon) are produced by living organisms per unit volume or area of water per unit time. Comparing this measure in different areas allows us to delimit highly productive regions from virtual ocean deserts. Knowing the production level enables marine fisheries biologists to define areas of rich fishery potential or of promising aquacultural potential. These two topics, fisheries and aquaculture, are the subjects we will close the course with, together with a discussion of pollution effects, environmental hazards, and international level fishery conflicts.
In order to appreciate the many differences in life forms, biological assemblages, and productivity levels, we must first begin by studying the marine environment itself. My course therefore begins, not with marine life, but with a survey of the physical and chemical environment of the oceans, adjacent seas, and estuaries.
Course Activities
Lecture: Lecture meets 3 times per week for 50 minutes. You are encouraged to attend regularly and participate by taking notes and asking questions
Quizzes: There will be approximately 4 quizzes throughout the semester. These are designed to assess your attendance (and attention!) in class. Quizzes are short (5 minutes) and will cover material from the lecture immediately preceding the quiz.
Quizzes will be given at the BEGINNING of the class period. Students arriving after the quiz has been handed out will be allowed to take the quiz but will not receive extra time. Students arriving after the quiz has been collected will not be allowed to take it or make it up.
Term Paper: A term paper discussing a current issue in marine biology will be required of each student. This is intended to give you exposure to ideas and concepts that we do not have sufficient time to cover in class. Students must select their topic and have it approved by the end of the third week of the semester.
In addition, you will do peer reviews of 4 other papers written by your classmates. In science, peer reviews are an essential component of writing, and in this class you will learn how to critique another's work.
Readings: Assigned chapters should be skimmed or read before class. Test questions will be derived from both lecture and assigned chapters. Do not get behind on your reading!
Exams: There are 5 non-cumulative exams in this class, but realize that this course is highly structured and basic information learned early on will be needed to assimilate material later in the course. Given the enrollment in this course, exams will consist of predominantly multiple-choice questions based on material presented in lecture and in the readings. However, the questions will be challenging - more than rote memorization will be needed to excel. You will be tested on your comprehension of the information AND your ability to apply the material in a problem-solving fashion.
Instructor Policies
Attendance: The students are responsible for the material missed whether the absence is considered excused or unexcused. Any student who does not attend lecture for 14 calendar days will be dropped in accordance with college policy.
Written assignments: All assigned work will be turned in on time. Typed or word-processed work is preferable to handwriting, but NEAT hand-written work will be accepted if it is written in blue or black ink one side of standard white paper. The term paper must be typed or word-processed. No late work will be accepted.
Plagiarism, Cheating and Disruptive Behavior: 'Plagiarism' is to give the impression that you have written or thought something that you have in fact taken from another. The word 'plagiarism' is derived from Latin (plagiarius) meaning 'kidnapper'. Proper use of references in scientific writing will be discussed in class. Plagiarism, as well as cheating on exams or quizzes, will not be tolerated and will result in the student's failure in the course, as well as other disciplinary action according to college policy.
Students who exhibit disruptive behavior (any activity which disrupts the learning environment) will be asked to leave the classroom.
Courtesy: Please be considerate of me and of your fellow classmates by not coming to class late or by shuffling your books and getting ready to leave 5 minutes early. This behavior is extremely disruptive and rude. In addition, I encourage a friendly environment - one in which all students feel comfortable to ask questions and make comments. Therefore, I will ask you to be sensitive to your classmates - do not laugh at 'stupid' questions (there is not such thing anyway).
Please do not bring cellular phones to class (or switch them off) and set pagers to silent mode. Visitors will be allowed only with the instructor's prior approval. Please do not eat, drink or smoke in class.
Grading Policy
Make-ups: There are no make-ups for missed exams. Lecture and final exam dates are indicated on the syllabus. If you take all 5 exams, your lowest exam score will be dropped. It is recommended that students not use up this option for a non-emergency. Attendance at the final exam is mandatory
The grade you will receive in this course is based on the total number of points you earn in the course activities:
Points possible:
| Exams (best 4 out of 5 @ 100 points each) | 400 |
| Term Paper | 200 |
| Peer Reviews (4@10 each) | 40 |
| Quizzes (4 @25 each) | 100 |
| Total | 740 |
Grading Scale
A 90-100%
B 80-89%
C 70-79%
D 60-69%
Students with Special Needs To receive accommodations as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, it is the responsibility of disabled students to present their 'DSS Reasonable Accommodations' form (available from the DSS office) to me during the first two weeks of class.
In Conclusion: I hope you find this course challenging, exciting, interesting and FUN. I hope the topics we will cover will pique your curiosity, enrich your understanding of science, intrigue you, but most of all, make you THINK! Together we will explore the nature of marine life in this course. Here's to an intellectually stimulating and enjoyable semester for all of us!
Tentative Lecture Schedule
Part I: The Ocean Habitat - Where the Action Is
Orientation / Introduction
The Physical Ocean
The Chemistry of the Ocean
The Nature of Life
Temperature, Saltiness, Space
Symbioses - Living Together
Part II: Primary Producers: The Breadwinners
Phytoplankton Groups
Phytoplankton Lifestyles
Marine Plants: pigments, structure, growth and reproduction
Marine Plants - con't
Primary Production: measurement and factors which affect it
Primary Production: seasonal patterns
EXAM 1
Part III: Consumers: The Bread-Eaters
Zooplankton groups and forms
Zooplankton behavior / life histories
Protozoa, Radial Animals
Worms, filter-feeders and more
Molluscs, Arthropods and allies
Video: Building Bodies - Invertebrate Design
Fish Diversity
Sharks, Skates and Rays
EXAM 2
Marine Mammals
Marine Birds
Video: Penguin World
Nekton: Predator Avoidance, Getting Oxygen
Nekton: Buoyancy, feeding and swimming
Nekton: where they go, how they get there - the magic of migrations
Nekton: To have sex or not?
EXAM 3
Part IV: Marine Environments - Putting it all Together
Introduction to Marine Ecology
Life on the Sea Floor
Intertidal Communities
Estuaries - Physical Features
Estuaries - Communities
Coral Reefs
Coral Reefs
EXAM 4
Life in the Deep Sea
Hydrothermal Vents
Video: Dive to the Edge of Creation
Part V: Human Impacts - How We Affect The Marine Environment and it's Inhabitants
Fisheries Biology
Overexploitation?
Pollution
Marine Conservation
Marine Animals in Captivity
Special Topics - Aquaculture, Pollution Recovery