Marine Biology
MAR111
Prof. Nancy Black
Lecture: Tu & Th 6:00 – 7:25 pm
Lab: Tu 7:40 – 9:40 pm
Books:
 Marine Biology, 9th edition, Peter
Castro and Michael E. Huber.
McGraw-Hill Higher Education. 2013.
(recent older editions are OK)
 Laboratory and Field Investigations
in Marine Life, 10th edition, James
Sumich and Gordon Dudley. Jones &
Bartlett Publishers. 2011. (optional)
Grading:
1000 points total:
Lecture = 60%
3 lecture midterm exams (200 points each)
drop lowest midterm exam grade = 400 points
cumulative final exam = 200 points
Lab = 40%
midterm quiz = 50 pts
practical final exam = 100 pts
10 lab assignments X 10 pts each (drop lowest
lab) = 90 pts
2 short research papers (25 pts each) = 50 pts
2 field trips X 50 pts each = 100 pts
overall attendance / participation = 10 pts
How to get a good grade:
 Attend class and lab
 Print the powerpoint lectures before
class and take notes on them
 Read the book
 Study for the exams (seriously)
 Turn in assignments on time
 Do the extra credit work
 Students who attend, participate,
show interest, and/or show
improvement will get a bump up a
half grade at end if on the borderline
Printing Powerpoint Slides
2-3 per vertical page
(3 gives lines for notes)
4 per horizontal page
write in margins
Marine Biology
The study of the organisms
that live in the sea
http://www.daviddarling.info/images/diatoms.jpg
http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/research/arcdiv/watercolumn/copepod/images/full/calanus_marshallae.jpg
http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/research/arcdiv/seabottom/asteroids/images/full/ctenodiscus-crispatus.jpg
Marine Biology


A subset of Biology
Has subdisciplines:
Taxonomy
 Ecology
 Behavior
 Physiology
 Cellular and
molecular biology
 Evolution

Marine Biology
 A subset of Oceanography:


Biological
Geological
http://community.webshots.com/photo/1098385609029448148TPhhYc


Chemical
Physical
http://www.webshots.com/g/33/628-sh/12378.html
Marine Biology

Why is it important?
Tools of Marine Biology
Tools of Marine Biology
http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/images/9/94/Bloom_summer_off_cornwall.jpg
http://www.riverheadfoundation.org/research/content.asp?code=Sarge
Tools of Marine Biology
http://www.gma.org/onlocation/mocness.html
http://alpha1.msrc.sunysb.edu/flaxpond/Images1/Mvc-008f.jpg
Tools of Marine Biology –
Scientific Method
 Observe, describe
 Coral reef
Tools of Marine Biology –
Scientific Method
 Observe, describe
 Stony corals
 Animal polyps have
algae cells inside
Tools of Marine Biology –
Scientific Method
 Observe, describe
 Corals once green and
brown are now white
 Water temperatures
were 30°C (86°F) or
more for several weeks
http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/biol/units/symbiosis/images/coralbleach.jpg
Tools of Marine Biology –
Scientific Method
 Ask questions
 Why did the corals turn
white?
 Did the warm temperatures
cause the problem? Pollution?
Salinity changes? UV?
 Is it permanent or will the
coral recover?
Tools of Marine Biology –
Scientific Method
 Choose one question to
address, then create a hypothesis
 The prolonged warm water
temperatures caused the
“bleaching”
http://appserv.pace.edu/emplibrary/thermometer.gif
AFP/Queensland University/File/Ove Hoegh-Guidberg
Tools of Marine Biology –
Scientific Method
 Conduct a controlled experiment
to test the hypothesis
 Collect some identical
corals
 Place some in normal
temperature water and
others in warmer water
http://www.aqob.com.au/images/product/detail/72rosscoralbleachingtanks.jpg
Tools of Marine Biology –
Scientific Method
 Experiment results, statistics
 Corals in lab held in the
warmer water “bleached”
after several weeks while
those in the control water
did not
Tools of Marine Biology –
Scientific Method
 If confirmed, then more tests of
the hypothesis
 Experiment must be repeatable
 Test other species,
temperatures, time frames
 If not, then test an alternative
hypothesis
Tools of Marine Biology –
Scientific Method
 Theory
 After the hypothesis has passed
extensive testing and is accepted as
true, it may be considered a theory
 Explanation supported by evidence
 Beware of misuse (scientific theory
is not a guess, that’s a hypothesis)
Tools of Marine Biology –
Scientific Method
http://www2.nau.edu/~gaud/bio372/class/behavior/scimeth.gif