Marine Biology – Syllabus 2013-2014
Text: Castro, Peter & Huber, Michael E., Marine Biology, 6e. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 2007.
General Topic
Subtopics
Activities
Text Chapter
Introduction to Marine Science
History of Marine Science and
Oceanography
Physical Properties of Water
Chapter 1
Water polarity, hydrophobic/philic
reactions, density and buoyancy,
boiling and freezing, water and light,
pressure
Properties of water lab –
cohesion, adhesion, etc;
density related to temp,
Chapter 3
Water chemistry
pH, salinity, osmoregulation,
dissolved oxygen, nitrogen and
phosphorous, carbon dioxide
Dissolved oxygen lab
Chapter 3
Aquatic habitats
Freshwater vs. marine,
osmoregulation, currents, waves,
flowing vs. still water, temperature
and thermoclines, zonation, wetlands
Osmosis and diffusion lab;
Chapter 3
Geology of the Seafloor
Plate tectonics, continental drift,
ocean basins, deep ocean basins,
mid-ocean ridges and hydrothermal
vents
Chapter 2
Biological Processes in the Water
Respiration
Problem of oxygen availability and
solutions, countercurrent exchange,
body shape, open vs. closed systems,
air bubbles as gills in insects
Counter current exchange
simulation; respiration fish
lab
Chapter 4
Osmoregulation and
nitrogenous excretion
Osmoregulation in salt vs.
freshwater, estuaries,
osmoconformers vs. regulators
Locomotion in water
Drag, density of water, floating
(plankton), streamlining, type of
locomotion (clingers, vs. swimmers,
etc.)
Sensory structures
Chemoreception, mechanoreception,
radioreception
Chapter 4
Feeding
Feeding strategies, predation,
avoiding predators, etc.
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Plankton races
Chapter 4
Overview of Marine Ecosystems
Shoreline Distribution
Estuaries & Mangrove Forests
Coral Reefs
Surface Life
Deep Ocean
Blue Carbon
Professor to speak?
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Survey of Major Groups of Marine Organisms
Plankton
Aquatic Plants and Algae
Invertebrates
Vertebrate Fishes & Fisheries
Marine Mammals
Marine Birds/Reptiles
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Humans and the Sea
Human Impact on the Sea
Resources from the Sea
The Future …..
Chapter 18
Chapter 17
Chapter 19