Marine Biology overview

The purpose of this course is to provide a broad overview of the world’s oceans focusing primarily on living organisms, their habitats, and interactions with people. As the oceans cover 71% of the planet this is a lot of material to cover! Accordingly, you will need to spend a significant amount of time learning the language of science, and of marine life in particular, in order to understand what marine biology is all about. If you succeed you will be rewarded with a rich understanding of one of the most fascinating places on the planet. For my part I will expose you to the wonderful world of the oceans with numerous stories and pictures of exciting creatures and current issues and research in marine science.

The course will primarily be in lecture format, supplemented by the textbook, selected readings, case studies and group discussions. I have a Socratic style of teaching and will involve you in the course as we learn together. In order to make this possible, and to maximize your learning experience, you need to come prepared to class: be on time, read the required reading before lecture, and review your notes from previous lectures. In other words, be prepared to share with the class both what you know and what you don’t know. As a result of this process you will be developing the following student learning objectives: 1) communication; 2) critical thinking/problem solving; and 3) lifelong learning.