BIOL 336 COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS SYLLABUS - SPRING 2008
Sections 01 & 02
Instructor: Seth Schulberg
Phone: 760-505-5640
Email: schulber@csusm.edu
WebCT6: http://lynx.csusm.edu/courses/directory/directory.asp
Courses URL: http://csusm.edu/courses/biol336/ss
Class Room: ACD 301
Class Meets: Tu/Th 1:00 – 2:15 & 2:30 – 3:45
Office: SCI II Room 115
Office Hrs.: Tu./ Th. 12:15 – 1:00
Text books: Marine Biology 6th Edition Castro and Huber (C&H) and Wetlands of San Diego County
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1.
2.
3.
Examine the major biological, chemical, physical and geological processes that shape coastal
environments. Environments covered range from uplands, wetlands, sandy beaches, rocky shores,
coastal waters and to the deep ocean deep-ocean.
Examine the ecology, diversity and distribution of life in coastal environments.
Identify coastal zone stakeholders. Examine natural resource conflicts to learn how environmental issues
are managed and regulated in this country.
ATTENDANCE:
Every student is expected to attend each class and arrive on time. You will not succeed in this course if you
miss class or arrive late. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure s/he is properly enrolled. If student
decides not to continue in the course s/he must officially drop. Students who fail to drop themselves from class
will be assigned an “F.” Students are responsible for all information discussed in class and on field trips.
METHODS OF EVALUATION
This class uses the RED Scantron form for quizzes and exams. This form requires you to bubble in your NINE
digit student I.D. number, name and test form. If your Scantron form is not accepted by the machine because it
is incorrectly filled out, folded or crinkled along the edges, you will receive a zero grade on the Scantron
portion of the quiz or exam,
Exams: Three exams are given during the course of the semester. Each exam is worth 100 points. The
exams will cover information from lecture, assigned readings, videos, in-class work and field exercises.
Exams may consist of multiple choice, matching, true/false, short answers and essay questions. Topics
discussed in class but not presented in the book can be included on exams.
Quizzes and Homework: Quizzes and Homework is assigned at random intervals to promote classroom attendance and to review noteworthy subjects. Quizzes are worth 20 points each.
Field Exercises: Two Field Exercises, each worth 100 points are assigned during the course of the
semester.
Annotated Bibliography: A single annotated bibliography is assigned each semester. The bibliography
is worth 100 points. The bibliography shall be formatted per Council of Science Editors (CSE). The
bibliography shall include at least 15 references. Each citation must include 2-3 sentences that explain
how the reference will be used in your paper. You must include at least 6 peer review articles, 5 general
science sources (National Geographic or discover magazine for example) and 4 newspaper articles.
Research Paper: A single research paper, worth 100 points is assigned each semester. The paper topic
must be selected from the teacher’s approved list of topics or with the verbal approval of your specific
topic, if the assigned ones do not appeal to you. Papers must be submitted electronically through
TURNITIN program accessed through WEBCt 6. Maximum length of the paper is 6 pages doublespaced.
GRADING POLICY:
All major assignments must be submitted in order to receive a passing grade for this course. Major assignments
are defined as Exams, Field Exercises, Annotated Bibliography and the Research paper.
All assignments are due by the end of class on the day assigned. After that time the assignment is considered on
day late. Late assignments will be reduced by 10% for each class session the assignment is overdue.
No make-up exams or quizzes will be given. This policy is rigorously enforced. Quizzes cannot be made-up. If
there are extenuating circumstances for the student’s missing an exam or other assignment, the student should
contact the instructor with appropriate documentation and explanation of why an exception to this policy should
be granted.
Your final grade will be determined from the class curve, however, you can be assured of an A, B, C or D, if
you earn at least 90, 80, 70 and 60% respectively, of the total points possible.
ACADEMIC HONESTY AND CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE:
Your integrity is your greatest asset! Do not sell it cheaply! Any evidence of cheating, fabrication or plagiarism
(defined as presenting words or ideas of others as your own) will result in zero points being awarded for that
assignment and possibly a failing grade for the course. If you work as a team on an assignment, please include
all your teammates names on each submittal made by the individual team members. Otherwise, submitting the
words, calculations or sketches of someone else (or even paraphrasing the words of someone else) is plagiarism.
Submitting a write-up based on data and/or observations that were not taken by you is fabrication. Both
fabrication and plagiarism are explicitly forbidden under the University’s Academic Honesty Policy. If you
fabricate or plagiarize you will be subject to the disciplinary sanctions specified by the policy.
Please come to class regularly and on-time. Please turn off all cell phones as soon as you enter class. Please do
not talk while another person is speaking. Please do not sleep during class, it offends the instructor.
FIELDTRIPS:
1. 2/17 (Sunday) Bluffs, Beaches, Rocky Shores & the Inter-tidal. Dike Rock, La Jolla; Meet under the Scripps Pier
2. 4/19 or 4/20 (Sat/Sunday) Batiquitos Lagoon for Wetland FTX
REQUIRED ASSIGNMENTS & EXAMS:
Date Due 1
Item
Random
Quizzes and in-class writing (5 worth 20 points each)
100 points or 13%
Exam 1 Ocean Basins, plate tectonics, waves, littoral transport,
challenges of life, taxonomy, marine life through phytoplankton and
seaweeds
Intertidal Field Training Exercise
100 points or 13%
2/26
2/28
Percent of Fin. Grade
50 points or 7%
Annotated Bibliography on research paper topic due. Fifteen
references in CBE style. (6 peer review journals, 5 general science
magazines and 4 newspaper articles.
Exam 2 Marine life flowering plants, invertebrates, fish and marine
mammals
Research Paper Due through TURNITIN on WEBCT6 (6 pages
double spaced)
100 points or13 %
5/6
Wetland Field Training Exercise
100 points or 13%
5/15
Exam 3 Ecological principals, fisheries & env. regulations.
(Section 1: 11:30 AM to - 1:30 PM)
(Section 2 1:45 PM – 3:45 PM)
100 points or 13%
3/18
4/8
4/29
100 points or 13%
100 points or 13%
750 points or 100%
1.
All assignments are due at 1:00 PM or 2:30 PM depending on the section you are in. After that, the assignment is considered
late. Late assignments will reduced by 10% for each day late, unless accompanied with medical or other sufficient
justification. ALL assignments must be turned in to receive a passing grade.
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE:
See table on following page.
BIOL 336 COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE – SPRING 2008
Instructor: Seth Schulberg
CLASS ROOM: ACD 301
Phone 760-505-5640
CLASS MEETS: Tu/Th 1:00 -2:15 & 2:30 – 3:45
E-MAIL: schulber@csusm.edu
OFFICE: UNIV SCI II Room 115
WebCT6: http://lynx.csusm.edu/courses/directory/directory.asp
Courses URL: http://csusm.edu/courses/biol336/ss
OFFICE HRS.: Tu. / Th. 12:15 - 1:00
Text Books: Marine Biology – Castro and Huber (C&H) Sixth Edition and Wetlands of San Diego County
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE WITH ASSIGNMENT DUE DATES
DATE
TOPIC/EVENT/ASSIGNMENT
TEXT ASSIGNMENT
5th ed. Pages 10-38
6th ed. Pages 10 - 20
1/22
Introduction, Scientific Method Vs. Informed Decision Making
1/24
Origin, Structure & Geological Provinces of the Ocean Basins.
1/29
Motion in the Ocean Waves, Tides and Upwelling
1/31
Littoral Transport, Beaches, Bluffs and Erosion
Environmental Issue # 1- Bluff erosion, impacts, mitigation & property rights
Handout and online
2/5
Chemical & Physical Properties of Seawater
5th ed. 39-61
6th ed. 44-61
2/7
Challenges of Life in the Ocean (salinity, temperature, surface to volume ration and
reproduction).
5th edition 63-82
6th edition 77 - 93
2/12
Marine Habitat - Life between the tides - hard bottom. Biological Zonation and
adaptation to life in the coastal zone
2/14
Marine Habitat - Life between the tides – soft bottom (Intertidal FTX Assigned)
5th ed. 216 – 232
6th ed. 235 -244
5th ed. 233 – 240
6th ed. 244 – 258
2/17
Field trip to Dike Rock at Scripps Pier 1:30
2/19
Fundamentals of Biology, fuels,& cellular respiration.
Cells, organelles and levels of organization.
5th ed.62 – 72
6th ed. 70 - 77
2/21
Organisms and diversity of life in the sea: taxonomy, domains & kingdoms
Bacteria and Archaea
5th ed. 83 -91
6th ed. 93 - 100
EXAM # 1 Oceans, Tides, Waves, Beach Processes, Challenges of life, Marine
Habitat types, fundamental of biology, taxonomy, bacteria and Archaea.
Unicellular algae or phytoplankton and unicellular protozoans. Multi-cellular algae,
fungi, flowering plants = sea grasses and salt-marsh plants. (Intertidal FTX Due)
5th ed. 92- 103
6th ed. 100 - 116
3/4
Invertebrates: Poriferans = sponges, Cnidarians = hydroids, jellyfish, corals and
anemones. (Annotated Bibliography for Research Paper Assigned)
5th ed. 104 – 117
6th ed. 120 - 127
3/6
Invertebrates: Worms, Mollusks, & Arthropods
3/11
Invertebrates: Echinoderms & Chordates
3/13
Marine Fishes - Physiology: shape, coloration, locomotion, feeding, & respiration
5th ed. 117 - 128
6th ed. 127 - 143
5th ed. 128 – 138
6th ed. 144 - 153
5th ed. 139 – 154
6th ed. 155 - 165
3/18
Marine Fishes - Behavior: territoriality, schooling, migration & reproduction.
Env (Annotated Bibliography Due)
5th 154 – 165
6th 165 -178
2/26
2/28
5th ed. Pages
6th ed. Pages 22-42
5th ed. 61-68
6th ed. 61-68
3/20
Marine Fishes and Fisheries Management
3/25
Marine reptiles, birds and mammals
3/27
Marine mammals and fisheries management
4/8
EXAM # 2 Marine Life from algae through invertebrates through fishes.
5th ed. 166 – 184
6th ed. 180 – 200
5th ed. 185 – 196
6th ed. 200 -212
4/10
th
Resources from the sea and fisheries management. The land use planning process, 5 ed. 257 – 275
6th ed. 377 – 420
assessment, mitigation and monitoring and the government agencies involved.
Handout
4/15
Environmental Assessment # 2 – Fisheries Management
Fish Sheet
4/17
Estuaries & lagoons – their physical & biological characteristics. (Wetland FTX
Assigned)
5th ed. 240 – 256
6th ed. 259 - 276
Wetlands of SD County
4/22
The impact of humans on the marine environment and resource protection
legislation acts: CZMA, NEPA, CEQA, MMPA & the CA Coastal Act
5th ed. 379 – 400
6th ed. 402 - 422
4/24
The land use planning process, assessment, mitigation and monitoring and the
government agencies involved. Env. Assess. # 3: State Road 241 at San Onofre
Handout
4/29
Discussion of State Road 241 Environmental Assessment (Research Paper Due)
5/1
Ecological Principals (Community structure, population growth, species interaction,
trophic structure and energy flow.
5th ed. 198 – 210
6th ed. 215 - 223
5/6
Ecological Principals (Nutrient & energy cycling, trophic relationships. (Wetland
FTX Due)
5th ed. 211 – 213
6th ed. 224 – 234
5/8
Loose ends and Review
5/15
Exam 3 Final
Section 1
Section 2
1130 – 1330
1345 - 1545