MARINE BIOLOGY RESEARCH PAPER
Read the “Special Report: Our Changing PLanet, from the textbook (pg 237-249) Choose a
climate crisis-related topic and write a short research paper (3-5 pgs). The project will require
you to do a substantial amount of fact-finding, synthesize information, and to utilize scientific
literature. The topic must be on or related to the climate crisis impact on the ocean. The title of
your paper should be a question, “What effect will climate crisis have on the plankton
migration?”
Your paper should present the topic in an INTRODUCTION (What is the topic, why is it
important, what will you be discussing) and then support the subject with facts, examples, and
studies. Conclude by summarizing your findings and you could suggest some future direction
for research. Your last paragraph should answer the question in your title.
Possible Topics:
● How will the climate crisis impact :
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The Great Barrier Reef
Bahamian Reefs
Hawaiian Reefs
The Maldives/ Kirabati
Greenland Ice Shelf
Penguins in the Antarctic
Antarctic ice sheets
Global ocean circulation
Insuring your beach house
Migrations of cetaceans
Deep sea methane crystals
Ocean pH
Fish larval development
Calcification of shellfish
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Phytoplankton blooms
Zooplankton populations
SF Bay Area coastline
Coastal areas of the south or east USA
India and or Bangladesh low-lying areas
Tropical storms/ hurricanes over the Caribbean
Haiti / Hispanola Island or other Caribbean Isles
Typhoons over India, Philippines
Find a topic of your own
Tidal energy production
Wind turbines offshore
Wave energy
FORMAT:
1” margins, 1 ½ or double spaced, w/ descriptive title, scientific writing (not casual or fiction).
Literature Cited section do NOT COUNT as pages. No need for a cover page. The paper will be
submitted electronically and use software that looks for plagiarism.
REFERENCES:
Use scientific sources for this paper. This means NO newspaper articles or random websites.
You can use the internet to get general information for no more than TWO references, as long as
the websites are from a scientific organization (AMNH, Smithsonian, Harvard, etc.) Draw from
at least TWO scientific journals or textbooks (you can get electronic journal articles, as long as
they are peer-reviewed). Your textbook does NOT count as a reference.
Cite your reference in text like this: (Smith 1998)
Use this website to answer any more questions you may have on citing sources
APA Format & APA Citation Generator
Journals:
Smith, J.R, and R. L. Wayne. 1998. Deep sea migration of meroplankton in the Sea of Cortez. Ecological
Monographs. 142(3): 248-266
Books:
Thomas, WR, Chung, TS. 2002. Behavior of terrestrial crabs. Pages 184-201 In R.D. Willem, Editor. Behavior of
marine animals. Princeton Press. Princeton, NJ
Internet:
Smithsonian Institution . 2000 Oct. 2. SI Homepage. <http://www.si.gov/mollusks>
Timeline for the paper:
The paper will be worked on over several weeks. You will submit a title with references, an outline, and then the
final paper. Please see timeline below.
DEADLINE
Pts
Paper topic / title (a question).
4/18
Bibliography Due- at least TWO references, Author, year, title,
source, 2 sentence summary
5
4/26
Outline Due
5
5/9
Hand in Paper
45
55
Total Pts
Example outline and Rubric
The rubric below will be used to grade your paper.
Outline:
Pts
Introduction:
Intro to the problem. How is your topic connected to the climate
crisis? Since when? Where? (what part of the ocean? Geographic
location?) Specific details of why the area is impacted
15
Impacts:
What is changing? How does this impact organisms/people?
Where? Interactions or on single species? Levels of severity?
Future impact? Effect on rest of ocean/ humans?
15
Solutions:
Proposed solutions? Is this fixable? Pros & cons of solutions?
Likelihood of adoption? Etc.
10
Bibliography
5
Grammar & Spelling
45
Total Pts
PLEASE AVOID THE FOLLOWING:
1. DO NOT quote everything you see. Quotes are other people’s words. Use your OWN
words.
2. Do not plagiarize. I can tell. So can the software.
3. Don’t use the first four references you Google. Choose the BEST references (preferably
from reputable institutions (i.e. Research institutes, Universities, Policy groups, National
organizations).
1. A dictionary definition is NOT a reference. You can use wikipedia for general
info, but not as one of your 4 sources. Use it to find good sources
4. Please write your supporting issues and refuting issues so as not to give your opinion. I
shouldn’t know which issue you support until I read the opinion part of the essay.
I recommend researching on Google Scholar or a database within Ohlone college library.
Many of the corrections/annotations on your paper are suggestions on how to
make the paper more succinct, focused, and to help improve your writing. It
does not mean they are incorrect. Please read them so you can improve.
Intro.
/15
Impacts /15
Solutions
/10
Bilbio, Grammar,
/5