(Advanced Topics in) Marine Biology (海洋生物学特論)
Dr. I-Hsun NI 倪怡訓(niih@mail.ntou.edu.tw or nimermaid@gmial.com)
Course Goals: This course emphasizes ecological processes and adaptations that act to
structure marine associations and permit their persistence through time. The course provides
a brief survey (functional morphology) of the major marine living organisms; then stresses
their habitat, adaptation, community structures, inter-species interactions and ecosystem. The
course requires a certain minimum background in basic concepts of Marine Biology.
Format and Grading: Designed for either UG (Marine Biology for the 3rd/4th undergraduate)
or PG (Advanced Marine Biology for post graduate) students with 3 units. Course contents
can be modified for students’ background upon request. Weekly 2-hour lecture will be
conducted in English plus 1-hour student presentation and discussion. Course contents can
be modified for students’ background upon request. Final grades are based on student’s oral
presentation (50%) and final exam (50%).
Course Outline:
Week
1
2
3
3
4
Topic
Principles of Marine Science (Marine Biology vs Biological Oceanography)
 Planet of Water (Earth)
 Properties of water
 History of Marine Biology
Ecological principles
 Ecosphere
 Biogeochemical cycles
 Ecosystem components
 Life history strategies
Overview of Biological, Chemical & Physical Oceanography
 Geography & geomorphology of the ocean
 Plate tectonics
 Temperature and vertical stratification
 Water mass and circulation
Marine primary producer
 Phytoplanton – Blue-green algae, Diatoms, Dinoflagellates, etc.
 Marine plants – sea weeds
Marine secondary productivity
 Protozoans – Foraminiferans, Radiolarians, Ciliates, etc.
 Zooplankton
Larval and larval ecology
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
Oceanic nekton & their adaptation
 Composition of ocean nektons
 Adaptation of oceanic nektons
 Food from sea; Drug from sea
Lower Marine Invertebrate: Porifera, Cnidaria & Ctenpphora
Acoelomates: Platyhelminthes & Nemertea;
Pseudocoelomate: Nematoda & Rotifera
Protostomes:
 Mulusca,
 Annelida
 Arthropoda
Deuterostomes:
 Echinodermata,
 Chordata
Fish Biology
 Adaptation
 Life history strategies
Marine birds and Sea turtles
Marine Mammals
 Seals
 Whales
Fisheries & Wildlife Management – Conservation aspects
Coastal Ecology: Inter-tidal Rocky & Sandy shores
Coastal management: Estuaries & Mangroves
Coral Reefs
Thermo vent and Deep sea biology
Ocean pollution and marine conservation
Final Exam
Textbook:
Karleskint, Turner & Small, 2010 3rd ed). Introduction to Marine Biology. Brooks/Cole
Castro, Peter and Huber (2007 6th ). Marine Biology. McGraw-Hill Education (Asia).
Nybakken, James W. (2004, 6th ed). Marine Biology: an ecological approach.
HarperCollins College publishers, New York.
Key references:
Sumich, James L. (2002, 8th ed). An Introduction to the Biology of Marine Life,
McGraw-Hill
Levinton, Jeffrey S. (2001 2nd). Marine Biology – Function, biodiversity, ecology