Bio 064L The Living Seas
Fall 2008, Joint Sciences
past syllabus and lecture schedule
The aim of this course will be to provide a broad overview of the diversity of marine habitats and the physical and biological processes that influence marine organisms. We will explore: the geological and physical structure of the oceans, the diversity of plants and animals in the ocean, the interaction of organisms with one another and with their physical environment, and the effects of human activity on marine ecosystems. At the end of the course, you should be able to:
Bio 169L Marine Ecology
Spring 2008, Joint Sciences
syllabus
This course will cover major topics in marine ecology and will concentrate on the coupling of physical and biological processes in the marine environment. We will also explore how climate interacts with the marine environment and recent changes that have occurred in our oceans due to anthropogenic influence. Beginning with physical and chemical processes in the ocean which influence the ecology and biology of marine organisms, next we will discuss major groups of marine taxa, from single-celled phytoplankton through marine invertebrates (zooplankton and intertidal organisms) and vertebrates (fish, birds, and mammals). The information about major taxonomic groups will be presented in an ecological context (how these organisms interact and are influenced by their environment and other organisms). Additionally, we will explore and discuss the structure and function of particular marine habitats. The lab portion of the class will focus on identification, distribution, and diversity of local southern California marine organisms. Field trips will introduce to students to local marine habitats and basic ecological techniques.
Ecological and Evolutionary Analysis of Spatial Variation in Marine Systems
Fall 2006 Research Apprentice Course
Friday Harbor Laboratories
Friday Harbor Labs offers intensive, full-time research training experiences are offered to qualified undergraduates and post-baccalaureates for 10-16 weeks. Teams of students each work on one focused research problem guided by a group of faculty, postdoctoral and graduate student mentors. Students selected for participation receive financial support to defray costs for room and board at FHL and tuition charged by University of Washington.
In Fall 2006, I cotaught an Apprenticeship with Melissa Frey entitled Ecological and Evolutionary Analysis of Spatial Variation in Marine Systems. Students conducted molecular and field research projects to explore how populations of marine intertidal organisms cope with heterogeneous selection pressures. Additional Information on FHL's Research Apprentice Program
Marine benthic ecosystems are notorious for exhibiting extreme environmental heterogeneity over small spatial scales. Over scales of meters to kilometers, organisms may encounter significant differences in environmental conditions, such as emersion times, wave exposure, and community composition. This heterogeneity presents a challenge to marine organisms because traits that allow an individual to succeed in one environment may be detrimental in others. Local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity are common responses to environmental heterogeneity. In turn, dispersal, which influences how frequently individuals encounter variability within or between generations, shapes these adaptive responses. In this course, apprentices will investigate how marine populations balance local adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, and dispersal to counteract the challenges of living in a spatially heterogeneous environment. A primary objective of the course was to train apprentices in both experimental and molecular approaches to marine ecology. Students teams worked on projects ranging from behavioral variation in decorator crab populations from different depths to morphological variation and species deliniation in subtidal anemones.