SEMESTER AT SEA COURSE SYLLABUS
Voyage:
Discipline:
BIOL 1559-501:
Division:
Faculty Name:
Fall 2013
Biological Sciences
Marine Biology (Section 1)
Lower Division
Robert F. Young
Pre-requisites:
None
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is an exploration of life in the saltwater ecosystems of oceans and estuaries. Major
topics include physiological and behavioral adaptations for living in marine habitats,
classification of marine organisms, ecological processes and structure of marine communities,
basic oceanographic processes that impact marine life, and marine conservation. All marine
habitats will be examined, from the intertidal zone to the deep sea, but special emphasis will be
given to marine habitats visited during the Semester at Sea voyage. (Students should not take
both this course and oceanography on the same voyage).
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this course students should be able to:
1) Classify marine life based upon distinguishing characteristics and adaptations of multiple
categories, including major taxonomic groups (domains, kingdoms, major marine phyla,
etc.), major categories of aquatic life (plankton, nekton, benthos), and major
biogeographic and habitat/depth patterns related to the physical characteristics of the
ocean.
2) Describe the major anatomical and physiological adaptations of organisms to the
physical, chemical, and geological conditions of marine and estuarine environments.
Examples include the impact of variations in temperature, salinity, light, density, depth,
and nutrient and dissolved oxygen availability on morphology, thermoregulation,
osmoregulation, locomotion and buoyancy, sensory biology, and distribution.
3) Interpret and predict the influence of interacting factors on marine primary production,
including nutrient availability, light, water column hydrography, biogeochemical cycles,
grazing activity, and latitudinal/seasonal patterns.
4) Describe and interpret patterns of marine secondary production, including energy flow
through marine foodwebs, trophic structure and efficiency, and the microbial loop.
5) Describe the manner in which marine organisms interact with other organisms through
processes such as growth, reproduction, competition, predation, and varied symbioses.
Describe how these behaviors and processes are influenced by the physical environment.
6) Describe the major marine community types, including their dominant habitat,
community structure, and ecological characteristics. Examples include rocky and sandy
intertidal, soft sediment and hard bottom shallow subtidal, estuarine, salt marsh,
mangrove, seagrass, kelp forest, coral reef, deep sea, and vent/seep communities.
7) Describe and predict potential anthropogenic impacts upon marine ecosystems, and the
conservation biology of marine organisms.
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REQUIRED TEXTBOOKS
AUTHOR:
TITLE:
PUBLISHER:
ISBN #:
DATE/EDITION:
P. Castro and M.E. Huber
Marine Biology
McGraw Hill Higher Education
978-0-07-352420-7
2012/9th
TOPICAL OUTLINE OF COURSE
Date
B1- August 27:
September 20-23:
B7- September 25:
September 27-29:
Sep 30 - Oct 1:
Topic
Introduction to marine biology and the
scientific process
St. Petersburg
The marine environment – the geological,
physical, and chemical setting of the ocean
The marine environment – the geological,
physical, and chemical setting of the ocean
Hamburg
Fundamental concepts of biology and
adaptations for life in the oceans
Antwerp
Le Havre
The ocean harvest: Fisheries biology and
maritime cultures
The big importance of little things: marine
plankton
Dublin
Seaweeds and marine plants
Lisbon
Cadiz
October 2:
October 3-6:
B8- October 7:
B9- October 9:
B10- October 12:
B11- October 14:
October 15-18:
B12- October 21:
B13- October 24:
No Class: Study Day/Conferences
Casablanca
Spineless wonders: Marine invertebrates
Spineless wonders: Marine invertebrates
Fishes
Midterm Test
Takoradi/Tema
Fishes and Marine mammals
Marine mammals, reptiles, and birds
Aug. 29-Sep 1:
B2-September 2:
B3- September 4:
September 5-8:
B4- September 10:
September 12-14:
September 14-16:
B5- September 17:
B6- September 19:
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Readings/Assignments
Ch 1
Ch 2,3
Ch 2,3
Ch. 4
Ch. 17
Ch. 5
Ch. 6
Field Lab: Whale
Watching and tunas in
Southern Spain
10/1/13 (Last Day)
Ch. 7
Ch. 7
Ch. 8
Ch. 8,9
Ch. 9
October 26-30:
B14- November 1:
B15- November 3:
B16- November 6:
B17-November 9:
B18-November 11:
November 12-16:
B19-November 19:
Cape Town
Marine ecological concepts: The structure of
marine environments and communities
Marine ecological concepts: Primary production, trophic dynamics, and energy flow
Marine Ecosystems: the open sea
Marine Ecosystems: midwaters & deep sea
Marine Ecosystems:
Intertidal, estuaries,
coasts, and continental shelves
Buenos Aires
Marine Ecosystems: Intertidal, estuaries, coasts,
and continental shelves
Ch. 10
Ch. 10
Ch. 15
Ch. 16
Ch. 11-13
Ch. 11-13
November 20-22:
November 23-24:
November 25-27:
B20-November 29:
B21-December 1
Rio de Janeiro
In-Transit
Salvador
Marine Ecosystems: Coral reefs
Ch. 14
Challenges to ocean health, sustainability, and Ch.17-19
biodiversity
Challenges to ocean health, sustainability, and Ch. 17-19
B22- December 4:
biodiversity
Review
B23- December 6:
December 9-11
Havanna
B24- December 13: Final Exam
B Day Finals
FIELD WORK
FIELD LAB
You will participate in the following field lab when we are in Cadiz. The 8-hour field lab and
related assignment are worth 20% of your grade. Attendance and participation in the Field
Lab is MANDATORY.
Whale Watching and Tunas in Southern Spain
October 1, 2013 (last day in port)
From the port of Cadiz, we will travel to Tarifa on Spain’s southern tip and set sail aboard a
whale-watching vessel. During the 2-hour cruise in the Strait of Gibraltar, we may see
common and bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales, and sperm whales. On board, we will be
instructed by a marine biologist from CIRCE, an NGO dedicated to the study of cetaceans in
the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Cadiz, who will discuss her research on the cetaceans we
observe. On the way back from Tarifa, we will stop off for a visit to the Ruins of Baelo
Claudia, an ancient Roman town that thrived 2000 years ago near the current seaside town of
Belonia. Baelo Claudia derived its wealth from the tuna fishing industry, from which they
produced garum, a fish paste that was a sought-after delicacy throughout the Roman Empire.
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In addition to the impressive temple, forum, and basilica, the ruins of the large fish-salting
factory are the perfect backdrop for a discussion of the importance of the tuna fishery both
today and in ancient times, and to review current tuna fishing techniques and fishery issues.
Field Lab Academic Objectives:
1. Explore biology and conservation of two iconic nekton groups in southern Spain:
cetaceans (whales and dolphins) and tuna.
2. Identify cetacean species in the wild and quantify abundance estimates and behaviors
3. Estimate bioenergetic requirement of cetacean species observed and their ecological
impact , and explore the conservation efforts for marine mammal populations in the Strait
of Gibraltar
4. Compare tuna capture techniques and the importance of tuna fisheries over two millennia
and review modern fishery issues and conservation efforts for tuna and other fisheries in
southern Spain.
Field Lab Assignments:
You will be provided with a list of questions and things to look for during the field laboratory.
During the whale watching activities, you will estimate abundance and size and will take
behavioral data. After the field lab, you will write a paper, using your observations and
supplementary information, addressing (and calculating) the bioenergetic requirements of the
marine mammal species you observed, their ecological role in the marine community, threats
to the marine mammal populations, and the challenges of studying marine mammals in the
field. In your paper, you will also compare and contrast the role of the tuna fishery in southern
Spain in modern and ancient Roman times, and recommend management approaches to ensure
the sustainability of the modern fishery.
ADDITIONAL FIELD ASSIGNMENTS
The marine biology course is a global comparative lens offering. Therefore, special
emphasis is put upon the connection between course content and each port or country that we
visit. Prior to each port, I will provide in class a brief review of some aspect of the city or
region as it relates to marine biology, and I will give you a question for your consideration
while in port. You are to keep a field notebook with the following entries for at least 8
ports/countries that we visit:
1. Make observations while in port and address the port-specific question provided.
2. Identify and describe at least one more observation on your own that is related to the
course. Examples could be a description of the local marine ecosystem or coastal
habitats, or any sustainable or unsustainable practices that you observe related to
marine habitats or organisms. In at least one port, you should talk with a local expert
(university professor, fisheries or marine conservation officer, aquarium biologist) for
his/her input on local marine sustainability issues.
3. Record your observations of the cultural or historical importance of the maritime
tradition for each city or region (maritime trade, fisheries, distinctive natural settings
or coastal features…).
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4. For overland ports (for example, Lisbon and Cadiz), you only need one entry. I will
collect journals periodically, and entries for each port will be due on the second class
meeting time after leaving that port.
5. As we visit more ports, your entries should become increasingly comparative. By the
second half of the voyage, I expect to see compare and contrast statements with one
or two previous ports for each of your entries.
In addition to the entries above for each city, you will also record the following intermittent
entries:
1. Visit a local seafood market in at least 3 countries. Take careful notes of the types of
fishes and diversity of fishes, as well as shellfish and other items (seaweeds,
octopus/squid, etc.). Do you recognize any species that are threatened or
endangered? Take pictures of or sketch several species that you don’t know and
identify them with resources on the ship or internet. Try to pick distinctively
different countries for comparison. For example the fish markets in Ireland and
Ghana will be far more different from one another than those in Antwerp and Le
Havre. After visiting markets in 3 countries, your third entry should conclude with a
comparison of the diversity and major groups from each country and differences in
marine ecosystems that explain these patterns.
2. Since this is a marine biology course, even our days at sea are a global comparative
lens of the entire Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, on at least 12 days at sea (try to space
them out fairly evenly), you should log your “marine environment observations.”
Record the date, time, air and water temperature, water clarity/color, weather, wind,
waves, and observations of organisms (species, numbers, behavior) or events (passing
the equator, going over a mid-ocean ridge,…). Again, as you move into the second
half of the voyage, these entries should sometimes be comparative with previous
observations.
Journal entries can and should include text, drawings, and/or photographs. Entries will
be graded based on: (1) completion of required elements (50%), (2) completeness of
description (15%), (3) depth of observation, inquiry, and critical thinking (15%), and (4)
quality and organization of writing (10%).
METHODS OF EVALUATION / GRADING RUBRIC
Your grade in the class will be based on the midterm and final exams, the field lab, the field
assignments/journal entries, and small quizzes and assignments throughout the semester. Small
quizzes will frequently be employed to ensure student preparation for lecture and to reinforce
concepts. Various assignments may be given to reinforce lecture material, such as an overview of
a chosen marine species by each student or analysis of relevant current events or collected samples.
The percentage breakdown is:
25%
25%
20%
20%
Midterm Test
Final Exam
Field Lab
Field Assignments/Journal
5
10% Small Quizzes and Assignments
RESERVE LIBRARY LIST
AUTHOR: H. Shirihai and B.Jarrett
TITLE: Whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals of the world
PUBLISHER: Princeton University Press
ISBN #: 13-978-0691127576
DATE/EDITION: 2006/1st
AUTHOR: P. Harrison
TITLE: Seabirds: An Identification Guide
PUBLISHER: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN #: 13-978-0395602911
DATE/EDITION: 1991/1st
ELECTRONIC COURSE MATERIALS and ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
The following videos may be assigned or available for you to watch in class or on the ship’s closed
circuit system:
Blue Planet (complete series)
IMAX Deep Sea (Howard Hall et al.)
IMAX Under the Sea (Howard Hall et al.)
Shellshocked
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Students must have a field journal dedicated to the course which will be turned in periodically. As
we will be working around water, I recommend a Rite-in-the-Rain field notebook.
HONOR CODE
Semester at Sea students enroll in an academic program administered by the University of
Virginia, and thus bind themselves to the University’s honor code. The code prohibits all acts of
lying, cheating, and stealing. Please consult the Voyager’s Handbook for further explanation of
what constitutes an honor offense.
Each written assignment for this course must be pledged by the student as follows: “On my honor
as a student, I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid on this assignment.” The pledge
must be signed, or, in the case of an electronic file, signed “[signed].”
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