BISC 447L Spring 2009
Spring 2009 BISC 447L
USC Wrigley Institute of Marine Science, Santa Catalina Island
Island Biogeography and Field Ecology (4 units)
Instructors:
Dr. Karla Heidelberg
KHeidelb@usc.edu
phone: 310-510-4038
Dr. Gerald Bakus
Bakus@usc.edu
Phone:213-740-5790
Teaching Assistant: TBD
___________________________________________________________________
Course Description
This course is divided into two complementary components. The first half of the course
will introduce students to ecological concepts through the study of marine and coastal
systems and the physical environments in which they exist. Students will begin to develop
an understanding of fundamental concepts of organisms and habitats and will learn about
the basics of physical and biological environment. Specific marine ecosystems, including
rocky shores, soft sediments, coral reefs, estuaries, surface and deep oceans and wetlands
as well as concepts in island biogeography will be covered. The second half of the course
will introduce students to quantitative approaches used to analyze ecological communities.
Students will have lectures in the mornings and labs in the afternoon. Assignments and
laboratory/field work are designed to provide hands on experience about concepts covered
in lectures.
Required Text:
Bakus, G.J. 2007. Quantitative Analysis of Marine Biological Communities: Field
Biology and Environment. Wiley, NY.
Levinton, J. 2001. Marine Biology: Function, Biodiversity and Ecology , 2nd ed. Oxford
University Press., NY (Copies of the second text provided on the Island as reference)
Students are required to read assignments before lectures. In addition to assigned
textbook readings, primary literature papers may be required. These will be listed on the
course Blackboard web server and placed on reserve in the Wrigley Institute library.
Requirements:
Attendance: Students are expected to attend all lectures and laboratory exercises Missing
class and lab time is certain to have an adverse effect on your exam performance.
There will be field and laboratory work on Catalina Island during the class. Labs are
generally scheduled for Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons (3:00-6:00pm). Lab
schedules may, however, be modified based on weather and environmental conditions.
Students should bring appropriate attire, including rubber or sturdy boots and rainwear.
There will be opportunities for snorkeling. Wetsuits and snorkeling gear are provided.
1.
BISC 447L Spring 2009
Evaluation: Course Exams (60%) Laboratory (40%)
Exams: will incorporate material from lectures (including audiovisual presentations),
class discussions, laboratory exercises and reading assignments.
Lab Assignments: Students will be asked to work up data collected in the lab or on field
trips. The lab reports and lab participation will contribute 40% of the grade for the
course. If time permits, some labs will be presented to the class as student presentations.
These presentations will be 12 minutes in length (with an additional three minutes for
questions) and will contain data from fieldwork. Presentations will follow commonly
accepted practices for professional scientific meetings.
Policies:
1. Academic honesty and integrity are paramount characteristics! Dishonesty in any form
is not tolerated.
2. The Exam dates are firm. If a student misses an exam due to a true emergency (with an
acceptable written excuse), a make-up exam will be scheduled.
3. Re-grading of exams: Exams submitted for possible re-grading must be turned in to the
instructor with a written concise explanation of the problem, and will be accepted
only within one week of when the exam is returned to the student.
4. No special assignments for extra credit are given.
5. Final exams will be returned either on Catalina Island or on the mainland. Unclaimed
exams will be kept for one semester.
6. Challenges to the final grade must be made within 6 weeks after submission of final
grades.
7. Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to
register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each semester. A letter of
verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP and should be
delivered to Dr. Heidelberg early in the semester. DSP is located in STU 301 and is
open from 8:30-5:00, Monday through Friday (phone: 213-740-0776).
Date
Lectures and Labs
Mon
Jan 12
~10:30 Students arrive
USC Catalina Semester Orientation and Semester Overview
Tues
Jan 13
9:00 Introduction to the Marine Environment
1:00 Lab: A) Field trip to Cat Harbor, Isthmus Cove and Big
Fisherman Cove for measurements irradiance with depth; B)
Laboratory measurements of photosynthetic rates at different
irradiances.
pp. 1-28
Wed
Jan 14
9:00 Phytoplankton and Primary Production
1:00 Introduction to Independent Research Program
pp. 21-25
Thurs
Jan 15
9:00 Rocky Intertidal and Subtitle Community Structure
Lunch at Airport in the sky
Lab: Field Trip to Shark Harbor
Measurements of habitat biodiversity and intertidal
organisms distribution 2) Barnacle larval
settlement/mortality 3) Animal Morphology and Flow
Reading
Levinton text
pp. 201pp. 237-268
pp. Chp 14
2.
BISC 447L Spring 2009
Fri
Jan 16
9:00 Waves and Tides
Afternoon: Optional return to mainland
pp. 31-37
Mon.
Jan 19
Tues
Jan 20
Martin Luther King Holiday
Wed
Jan 21
9:00 Physical and Biological Processes in Estuaries
2:00 Big Fisherman Cove Snorkel – measurements of benthic
diversity
pp. 35-36
Thurs
Jan 22
9:00 Zooplankton Communities
1:00 Lab: Comparative Zooplankton Lab (with night component)
pp.151-167
Fri
Jan 23
9:00-11:00 Midterm Exam
Mon
Jan 26
Profiling Methods and Underwater Techniques
Sampling Populations
Afternoon– Field studies
Tues
Jan 27
Quantitative Sampling Methods
Afternoon – Field studies
pp. 14-61
Wed.
Jan 28
Data – Biometrics – Experimental Design
Afternoon – computer lab
pp. 62-122
Thurs
Jan 29
Biodiversity
Afternoon – field studies
pp. 142-159
10:00 (or soon after boat arrives)
Biomechanics of Flow and Feeding; Coral feeding mechanisms
p.277-295
Lab: Measurements of bivalve feeding rates under varying
conditions of food and flow; Characterization of benthic boundary (lab)
layers.
pp. 295-299
Bakus text
pp. 1-4
pp. 5-13
Fri. Feb. Populations
30
Afternoon: Optional departure for mainland
pp. 123-141
Mon.
Feb 2
Selected Advanced Topics
PM – computer lab
pp. 160-208
Tues.
Feb 3
Community Analysis
Afternoon – computer lab
pp. 209-236
Wed.
Feb 4
Ordination and Multivariate Analysis
Afternoon – computer lab
pp. 237-263
Thurs.
Feb 5
Time Series Analysis and Modeling
Afternoon – computer lab
pp. 264-300
3.
BISC 447L Spring 2009
Fri. Feb
6
nd
9:00-11:00 Final Exam (covering information from 2 half of
class)
Afternoon: Optional departure for mainland
4.