Marine Ecology (ENV 4460)
Prof. George P. Kraemer
Fall 2011
Course Syllabus
Course Scope and Objectives: This course surveys the field of marine ecology, synthesizing
information from all levels of organization (organism, population, community). The course
relies strongly on readings of the primary marine ecological literature to supplement the
textbook. The specific objectives of this course are:
 develop an understanding of the mechanisms by which biotic and abiotic factors
control the abundance and distribution of marine organisms;
 build a base of knowledge of the characteristics of specific marine ecosystems;
 develop the skills of interpretation, synthesis, and presentation skills through
reading, writing, and oral presentation
Readings
Required Text: Marine Biology: An Ecological Approach (Nybakken & Bertness, 6th ed. 2005)
Other Readings: Marine Ecological Processes (Valiela, 2nd ed., 1995) via Moodle page, e-journal
articles via Moodle page (list appended)
Meeting Times
Lecture:
Lab:
Office Hours:
Contact :
Tuesday & Friday, 10:30 – 12:10 in NS3053
Wednesday 8:30-12:10 in NS0016 (other times as needed for field work)
Tuesday 2:30-3:30, Friday 8:30-9:30, or by appointment (NS 0051)
george.kraemer@purchase.edu
Grading
Exam I
Exam II
Final Exam
Quizes
Paper/Data Analysis
Literature Presentation
Lab Assignments
(includes lab notebook review)
TOTAL
Point
Value
100
100
250
100
100
50
300
1000
Tentative Lecture Schedule
Date
Aug
Sept
Topic
Ecological Basics: Properties & Processes
30
Properties of seawater, marine vs.
terrestrial
2 Physical processes, hydrodynamics,
patchiness
6 Physical processes (cont.)
Primary production: producers, light,
9 nutrients, temperature, entry into food
web, global patterns
Readings
Nybakken
Valiela1
1-7 (7-19), 31-35
“
42-47, 61-77
13 Consumer-prey interactions
16 Consumer-prey interactions (cont.)
20 Larval ecology, life history strategies
PL2
325-339
1
203-212
2
165-188
3
“
25-31
23 Competition
4
107-131
5
26 Biogeography and introduced species
30 Exam I
Oct
4
Ecological function in marine
ecosystems, ecosystem bioengineering
76-94
6
Ecological Characteristics of Marine Communities
7
Intertidal characteristics, soft sediment
communities
11 Rocky intertidal ecology
Rocky intertidal and kelp forest ecology
18
Mangrove community ecology, salt
marsh ecology
21 Estuaries
267-276, 308-331
277-306
215-232
7
453-467, 381-400
8
361-381
25 NO CLASS
Readings from Valiela available via course Moodle page (see library website)
Primary literature (see appended list)
1
2
28 Seagrass community ecology
Nov
196-209, 233-240
9
407-452
10
56-61, 104-141
11
1 Exam II
4 Coral reef ecology
8 Coral reef ecology (cont.)
11 Open ocean ecology
15 Open ocean ecology (cont.)
18 Deep-sea ecology
145-186, 187-191
22 Upwelling systems
25 Anthropogenic impacts
12
Chapter 11
25 NO CLASS – Thanksgiving Break
29 Anthropogenic impacts (continued),
marine conservation
Dec
1 “Clean up”
6 “Clean up”
FINAL EXAM (12:00-3:00)
13
Readings from Primary Literature
(see course Moodle page)
1 Dehnhardt, G., Mauck, B., Hanke, W., Bleckmann, H. 2001. Hydrodynamic trailfollowing in harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). Science, vol. 293, no. 5527, pp. 102-104.
2 Duarte, C.M., Cebrián. 1996. The fate of marine autotrophic production.
Limnology and Oceanography, vol. 41, p. 1758-1766.
3 Holdredge, C.,.Bertness, M.D., Altieri, A.H. 2008. Role of crab herbivory in die-off
of New England salt marshes. Conservation Biology, vol. 23, 672–679.
4 Lindquist, N., Hay, M.E. 1996. Palatability and chemical defense of marine
invertebrate larvae. Ecological Monographs, vol. 66, p. 431-450.
5 Fourqurean, J.W., Powell, G.V.N., Kenworthy, W.J., Zieman, J.C. 1995. The effects
of long-term manipulation of nutrient supply on competition between the
seagrasses Thalassia testudinum and Halodule wrightii in Florida Bay. Oikos, vol. 72,
p. 349-358.
6 Power, M.P., et al. 1996. Challenges in the quest for keystones. Bioscience, vol. 46,
p. 609-620.
7 Gaines, S.D., Roughgarden, J. 1987. Fish in offshore kelp forests affect recruitment
to intertidal barnacles populations. Science, vol. 235, issue 4787, p. 479-781
8 Bertness, R.D. 1984. Ribbed mussels and Spartina alterniflora production in a New
England salt marsh. Ecology, vol. 65, p.1794-1807.
9 Zimmerman, R.C., Kohrs, D.G., Alberte, R.S. 1996. Top-down impact through a
bottom-up mechanism: the effect of limpet grazing on growth, productivity, and
carbon allocation of Zostera marina (eelgrass). Oecologia, vol. 107, p. 560-567.
10 Edmunds, P.J., Carpenter, R.C. 2001. Recovery of Diadema antillarum reduces
macroalgal cover and increases abundance of juvenile corals on a Caribbean reef.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA, vol. 98, no. 9, p. 50675071.
11 Starr, M., Himmelman, J.H., Therriault, J-C. 1990. Direct coupling of marine
invertebrate spawning with phytoplankton blooms. Science, vol. 247, p.10711074
12 Sanford, E. 1999. Regulation of keystone predation by small changes in ocean
temperature. Science, vol. 283, p. 2095-2097.
13 Bertness, M.D. 1984. Habitat and community modification by an introduced
herbivorous snail. Ecology, vol. 65, p. 370-381.
Marine Ecology
ENV 4460
Fall 2011
Prof. George Kraemer
Tentative Laboratory Syllabus
Point
Value
Date
Topic
Aug 31
Hemigrapsus sanguineus intertidal distribution (Read Sanctuary, Rye
(NY), leave campus at 6:15 a.m.)
Habitat as driver of abundance?
Hemi data collection
Excel reminder: oceanographic, Hemigrapsus data;
image analysis FLASH DRIVE USEFUL
Identification of local plants, animals
Sept 7
Sept 14
Sept 21
Detecting non-natives (planning)
Discuss surface area-volume measurements
Sept 28
Detecting non-natives (field work)
Crab habitat observations (Read Sanctuary, Rye (NY), leave
campus at 6:00 a.m.)
Form-function experiment I: macrophyte ammonium uptake
(review: Littler and Littler; E-RES)
Oct 5
Oct 12
25
20
30
40
25
Oct 19
Hermit crab shell use
Intermediate disturbance hypothesis I - photographs (Read
Sanctuary, Rye (NY), leave campus at 6:00 a.m.)
Quantification of anti-herbivore defense compounds
Oct 26
Temperature tolerance
30
Nov2
Crab habitat - sample analysis
Intermediate disturbance hypothesis II - analysis
25
25
Nov 9
Salt marsh ecology (TBA)
Nov 16
Hemigrapsus sanguineus surface area-volume measurements
Nov 23
NO LAB – Thanksgiving Break
Nov 30
Simple photosynthesis model; FLASH
Dec 7
Review for final exam
DRIVE USEFUL
NB: to pass the course, you must pass the lab section (i.e., earn > 150 points)
no points for missed labs (i.e., missed data collection)
late penalty for lab assignments = 10% each day late, no credit after 4 days
data must be computer-graphed, text must be typed (double-spaced)
30
25
25