Course Description
Fundamental biological principles in marine organisms and ecosystems; diversity of marine life; structure and function of marine biological communities; biological processes in marine environments; the role of the oceans in global cycles, the effects of human activity on life in the sea.
Athena Title
Biology of Marine Environ Hon
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in MARS 1020, MARS 1021E
Prerequisite
Permission of Honors
Semester Course Offered
Offered spring
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
This course is designed to teach students fundamental biological principles in the context of marine organisms and environments. It is intended to satisfy the Biological Science requirement for degree candidates in non-biological majors. The course will cover basic biological principles ranging in scale from molecular (e.g. biochemical building blocks, principles of molecular genetics, etc.) to global (e.g. primary production, elemental cycling). These principles will be explained and illustrated using examples from marine biology and biological oceanography. A great number of environmental issues involve marine ecosystems; consideration of these issues will be interwoven into relevant lectures and will be addressed directly in lab exercises. A field trip to either a Georgia or Florida coastal ecosystem is usually included near the end of the semester to solidify understanding of the material.
Topical Outline
Lecture topics include: Introduction to Biology of the Marine Environment The Ocean Environment Ocean Circulation Ocean Chemistry Marine Life at the Cellular Level Marine Organisms: Prokaryotes Protists Fungi Plants Invertebrates Fishes Seabirds Marine reptiles Mammals Ocean Ecology: Natural Selection and Evolution Flow of Energy and Material in Ecosystems Adaptations to Life in the Sea Ocean Environments: Pelagic Ecosystems Rocky Intertidal Coral Reefs Soft-Bottom Benthos Estuaries and Marshes Special Topics: Fisheries El Nino Marine Pollution Eutrophication The Artic Ocean Ecosystem Global Warming Laboratory topics include: Introduction to Science in the US with Library Orientation Scientific Method Microscope Structure of Cells Monera and Protista Invertebrates Fishes Invertebrate Food Selection Photosynthesis and Respiration Ecology of the Rocky Intertidal Beachcomber Osmosis Fisheries Biology Marine Law Fisheries Management
General Education Core
CORE II: Life Sciences