Dearolf
BIOL 335
MARINE BIOLOGY
Syllabus Spring 2016
Diving down the banked corals
I brush a polyp cluster with one bare arm,
Bruising its delicate loops and rows.
This coral boulder carries life at the edge
Blooming on the lately dead.
So, here is another animal
With surprisingly thin skin.
Using the same solutions, our various
Bodies seal the ocean from the flesh:
Our skins hold the line against the sea.
Others have different styles:
Boning up their surfaces,
As obviously as snails.
Still using Cambrian ingenuity
To suck calcium from the sea
And spin it out as shell-that trick
On which bone making trades.
We carry our boundaries
In ancient tank,
Inheriting not only ocean
Blood, but also bone.
Carol B. Fleming
Instructor: Dr. Jennifer Dearolf
Professor
Office: DW Reynolds 230
E-mail: dearolf@hendrix.edu
Phone: 450-4530
Office Hours: Wednesdays 8:30-10:00,
Fridays 11:30-1:00,
or by appointment
Class Meetings:
Lecture
Lab
MWF 10:10-11:00
R 1:10-4:00
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Dearolf
BIOL 335
Textbooks:
Castro P, Huber ME. 2015. Marine Biology. 10th edition. McGraw-Hill Higher
Education: New York, N.Y.
Course objectives: This course is an upper level elective for Biology majors, which focuses on
marine biology. We will study the physical and chemical properties of the ocean, the diversity of
organisms that live in this environment, the various regions of the marine environment, and
human impacts on the ocean. At the conclusion of the course, students should have an
understanding of:
1) the chemical, physical, and biological properties of the oceans;
2) the diversity of organisms that live in the marine environment, with a focus on the
coral reefs of Belize;
3) different regions of the ocean and the unique challenges to life that each represents;
4) the impacts of human activities on the oceans;
5) the utility of the scientific method as a means of acquiring new information and how
to present and interpret data;
6) how to communicate in a scientific manner, both in writing and orally.
Grades and Grading: Your grade will be based on the results of a) exams, b) lecture
assignments, c) lab practicals, d) laboratory write-ups, e) research paper, and f) comprehensive
final exam as follows:
3 Lecture Exams
4 Lab Practicals
3 Laboratory Worksheets
2 Laboratory Reports
1 Staghorn Coral Write-up
1 Experimental Design/Presentation
1 Research Paper
1 Comprehensive Final Exam
450
400
75
150
200
50
100
200
A = 1625 - 1455 pts.; B = 1454 - 1292 pts.; C = 1291 – 1130 pts.; D = 1129 – 967 pts.; F < 966 pts.
If the class distribution is well below these cutoffs, the scale may be adjusted (curved) in
calculating final grades. There will be no curve on individual exams or assignments and no
extra credit will be offered.
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Dearolf
BIOL 335
More Details about Grades and Grading:
Lecture Exams: There will be three lecture exams, each with a value of 150 points. The format
of the questions will vary: essay, short answer, fill-in-the-blank, matching, labeling, multiple
choice, problem solving, etc. Each exam will cover all the material introduced in lecture for that
test period and material in the relevant textbook chapters. Tests will be administered in class at
the scheduled time. No early or late exams will be given except for students that miss a test
because of official university activities. I must receive official notification of the event and the
make-up test must be scheduled before the normal test date. The only other exception will be for
students with valid excuses (e.g. illness with a note from a doctor or nurse).
To keep us all on the same page, I will write on the board the pages of the textbook that you
should read for the next class. I will leave time in the class period before the scheduled exam to
answer questions that you have about ANY material, but you will need to come to class prepared
with questions. If no one puts his or her hand up and asks questions, I will move on to the day’s
scheduled topic.
Lab Practicals: There will be four laboratory practical exams, each with a value of 100 points.
The date and content of each lab practical is indicated on the lecture schedule. For each
practical, specimens will be left out for you to study. There will be NO makeup lab practicals!
Laboratory Worksheets: There will be six experimental labs conducted over the course of the
semester. For THREE of these experiments, you will be provided with worksheets that you will
complete, and each worksheet will be worth 25 points. On the Laboratory Schedule, the letter W
follows these experiments in parentheses. To help you identify the important concepts of some
of the labs, the worksheets will consist of questions. For other labs, the worksheets may also
require you to summarize and analyze data that you and your colleagues have collected. Finally,
some handouts may be written in the form of a biological journal article, but there will be
missing sections.
Laboratory Reports: For TWO (three if you are taking the course for W2 credit) of the
experimental labs, you will write them up in the form of a biological journal article. These
experiments are followed by an R in parentheses on the Laboratory Schedule. Each of these
reports will be worth 75 points.
Staghorn Coral Laboratory Write-up: During our time at Belize Marine TREC, we will be
collecting data to investigate the physical characteristics of sites where staghorn coral stands are
and are not found, to determine which characteristics make certain sites suitable for coral growth.
We will also measure growth rates of the coral at the stands we visit, as well as possibly
determine the effect of damsel fish, which colonize the stands, on the growth rate of the corals.
We will collect the data for one of these experiments while we are in Belize. You will then write
up the results of this experiment in the form of a biological research article. This report will be
worth 200 points.
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Dearolf
BIOL 335
Experimental Design/Presentation: During lecture on April 18th, you will be asked to design an
experiment to investigate the effects of marine pollution or global climate change on some aspect
of the biology of marine organisms. In lab the following week, you will carry out your
experiment and collect data, and on May 2nd, you will present the details of your study to the
class. Your experimental design and presentation will be worth 50 points.
Research Paper: You will choose an organism that is found in or around the coral reefs of Belize
from a list that will be provided and investigate the biology of this organism. More details about
the content of the paper and its format will be provided to you later in the semester. The paper is
worth 100 points.
Comprehensive Lecture Final: The final lecture exam for the course will be cumulative and will
be comprehensive over the entire course. It has a value of 200 points.
Attendance policy: To do well in this course, you must be here, both in body and in mind.
Formal attendance will not be taken in class; however, if attendance is low or if students are ill
prepared for class, pop quizzes may be administered. If you have a legitimate reason for missing
class, notify me before class, and if a quiz is administered, there may be no penalty for missing.
Poor attendance will make it difficult to prioritize material while studying for exams. A student
with a poor attendance record may not be eligible for any grade curving conducted at the end of
the course.
Academic honor code: Any instances of academic dishonesty (plagiarism, cheating on exams or
quizzes, submitting work that is not fully your own, etc.) will be reported to the Academic
Integrity Committee. For details on the procedures involved with academic dishonesty issues,
please refer to the Hendrix catalog (pages 41 – 47).
Students with Disabilities or Special Needs: It is the policy of Hendrix College to
accommodate students with disabilities, pursuant to federal and state law. Any student who
needs accommodation in relation to a recognized disability should inform me at the beginning of
the course. In order to receive accommodations, students with disabilities are directed to contact
Julie Brown in Academic Support Services at 501-505-2954.
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