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Marine Biology

Purpose of Course  showclose

Course Information  showclose

Learning Outcomes  showclose

Course Requirements  showclose

• Unit 1
• Unit 2
• Unit 3
• Unit 4
• Unit 5
• Unit 6
• Final Exam
• All Units

Unit Outline show close

Unit 1: The Ocean Environment  

While the ecology and community relationships of marine organisms are in some ways very similar to those of terrestrial organisms, species that live in water deal with a very different environment than we do and are affected by the properties of that environment.  For example, the coloring, or lack thereof, of animals in deep water is related to the wavelengths of light that are transmitted so far below the surface.  Also, organisms that live in the “intertidal zone,” the area that is covered by water at high tide but exposed to the air at low tide, alter their behavior and physiology in response to the movements of tides. Understanding the abiotic (non-living) aspects of this medium will give you a better sense of the world in which marine organisms live. This unit will introduce you to the ocean, giving you an overview of its chemistry, its physical properties, and some of the oceanographic features that influence the physiology, ecology, and behavior of the organisms within it.  

Unit 1 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 1 Learning Outcomes   show close


1.1 The Ocean's Origin  

• Reading: MarineBio’s “History of the Ocean”

  Link: MarineBio’s “History of the Ocean” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this webpage, which discusses the origin of the oceans in the context of the earth’s orbit, the geological composition of areas, and the weathering of rocks.
   
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1.1.1 Plate Tectonics  

Note: The topic of plate tectonics is covered in the reading below subunit 1.1.

1.1.2 Divergent and Convergent Margins  

Note: The topic of divergent and convergent margins is covered in the reading below subunit 1.1.

1.2 Seawater  

• Reading: MarineBio’s “Ocean Chemistry”

  Link: MarineBio’s “Ocean Chemistry” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this webpage in its entirety.  It will cover the topics outlined in subunits 1.2.1–1.2.3.
   
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1.2.1 Properties of Water  

Note: This topic is covered in the reading for subunit 1.2.

1.2.2 Density and Layering of Fluids  

Note: This topic is covered in the reading for subunit 1.2.

1.2.3 Composition of Seawater  

Note: This topic is covered in the reading for subunit 1.2.

1.2.3.1 Salts  

Note: This topic is covered in the reading for subunit 1.2.

1.2.3.2 Gases  

Note: This topic is covered in the reading for subunit 1.2.

1.2.4 Light Penetration  

• Reading: MarineBio: Dr. Sean Chamberlin’s “The Light and Color of the Oceans” and The Habitable Planet’s “Ocean Structure and Composition”

  Links: MarineBio: Dr. Sean Chamberlin’s “The Light and Color of the Oceans” (HTML) and The Habitable Planet's  “Ocean Structure and Composition”  (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read “Light and Color of the Oceans” in its entirety.  Reading text in the “Ocean Structure and Composition” is optional.  The diagram can be clicked on to be made large for further analysis.  This material will also cover the topic outlined in section 1.5.4 of this course.
   
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• Reading: Nature Knowledge: Daniel M. Sigman and Mathis P. Hain: “The Biological Productivity of the Ocean: Section 1"

  Link: Nature Knowledge: Daniel M. Sigman and Mathis P. Hain: “The Biological Productivity of the Ocean: Section 1" (HTML)
   
  Instructions Please scroll down to Figure 2," Typical conditions in the subtropical ocean" to look at this diagram as well. 
   
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1.3 Oceans in Motion  

1.3.1 Currents  

• Reading: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Currents”

  Link: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Currents” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This site contains several webpages. Read the introductory page (“Currents”).
   
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1.3.1.1 Tidal Currents  

• Reading: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Tidal Currents” 1 and 2

  Link: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Tidal Currents” (HTML) 1 and 2
   
  Instructions: Read “Tidal Currents 1,” and then click on the tab under Currents to read “Tidal Currents 2.”  Click on all figures and animations; these both illustrate the topics and provide further information on the topics.
   
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1.3.1.2 Coastal Currents  

• Reading: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Waves,” “Longshore Currents,” and “Rip Currents”

  Link: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Waves” (HTML), “Longshore Currents” (HTML), and “Rip Currents” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read each page in its entirety.  As you read, consider the effects that coastal currents can have on shoreline structure and marine-community composition.  Click on all figures and animations; these both illustrate the topics and provide further information on the topics.
   
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1.3.1.3 Surface Ocean Currents  

• Reading: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “The Coriolis Effect,” “Trade Winds,” “Boundary Currents,” and “The Ekman Spiral”

  Link: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “The Coriolis Effect” (HTML), “Trade Winds” (HTML), “Boundary Currents” (HTML), and “The Ekman Spiral” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read each page in its entirety.  Think of the influence that currents have on the plankton that is carried with them and on the many organisms that feed on that plankton.  Click on all figures and animations; these both illustrate the topics and provide further information on the topics.
   
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1.3.1.4 The Global Conveyor Belt  

• Reading: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Thermohaline Circulation” and “The Global Conveyor Belt”

  Link: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Thermohaline Circulation” (HTML) and “The Global Conveyor Belt” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read each page in its entirety; these will explain the processes through which ocean waters become replenished with necessary nutrients and gases.  Click on all figures and animations; these both illustrate the topics and provide further information on the topics.
   
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1.3.2 Upwelling and Downwelling  

• Web Media: NOAA’s Ocean Explorer: Dr. Steven Gaines and Dr. Satie Airame’s “Upwelling”

  Link: NOAA’s Ocean Explorer: Dr. Steven Gaines and Dr. Satie Airame’s “Upwelling” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this page, and look at the associated diagrams to understand more about this process, which is vitally important in maintaining marine ecosystems.
   
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1.3.5 Tides  

• Reading: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “What Are Tides?”

  Link: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “What Are Tides?” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this introduction to tides.
   
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1.3.5.1 Gravitational Forces and Tides  

• Reading: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “What Causes Tides,” “Gravity, Inertia, and Bulges,” “Frequency of Tides”

  Links: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “What Causes Tides” (HTML), “Gravity, Inertia, and Bulges” (HTML), “Frequency of Tides” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read these pages in their entirety to understand the influences of the sun and moon on tides.  Click on all figures and animations; these both illustrate the topics and provide further information on the topics.
   
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1.3.5.2 Rotations and Tides  

• Reading: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Changing Angles and Changing Tides”

  Link: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Changing Angles and Changing Tides” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety.  Click on all figures and animations; these both illustrate the topics and provide further information on the topics.
   
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1.3.5.3 Variations in Tidal Heights  

• Reading: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Tidal Variations—The Influence of Position and Distance”

  Link: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Tidal Variations—The Influence of Position and Distance” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety.  Click on all figures and animations; these both illustrate the topic and provide further information on the topic.
   
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1.3.5.4 Tidal Cycles  

• Reading: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Types and Causes of Tidal Cycles—Diurnal, Semidiurnal, Mixed Semidiurnal; Continental Interference”

  Link: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “Types and Causes of Tidal Cycles—Diurnal, Semidiurnal, Mixed Semidiurnal; Continental Interference” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety. Click on all figures and animations; these both illustrate the topics and provide further information on the topics.
   
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1.3.5.5 Local Effects  

• Reading: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “What Affects Tides in Addition to the Sun and Moon?”

  Link: NOAA’s Ocean Service Education: “What Affects Tides in Addition to the Sun and Moon?” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety.
   
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1.4 Ocean Climate  

• Reading: Texas A&M University: Professor Robert Stewart’s Oceanography in the 21st Century: “The Ocean and Climate”

  Link: Texas A&M University: Professor Robert Stewart’s Oceanography in the 21^st Century: “The Ocean and Climate” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety.  It will cover the topics outlinedin subunits 1.4.1-1.4.6.
   
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1.4.1 Climatic Surface Winds  

Note: This topic is covered by the resource below subunit 1.4.

1.4.2 Temperature Gradients  

Note: This topic is covered by the resource below subunit 1.4.

1.4.3 Salinity Gradients  

Note: This topic is covered by the resource below subunit 1.4.

1.4.4 Seasonal Variations  

Note: This topic is covered by the resource below subunit 1.4.

1.4.5 Circulation Effects  

Note: This topic is covered by the resource below subunit 1.4.

1.4.6 Resulting Global Climate Zones  

Note: This topic is covered by the resource below subunit 1.4.

1.5 Living in Salt Water  

• Reading: MarineBio’s “The Structures and Adaptations to Marine Living”

  Link: MarineBio’s “The Structures and Adaptations to Marine Living” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the first section of this page (up to but not including “Chordate Origins.” However, please ignore the italicized information from Discover Magazine, as some information within it is not accurate—most specifically the section on fish swim bladders.  Fish do not inflate or deflate swim bladders as a means of rising or sinking in the water; the swim bladder inflates or deflates to respond to local pressure and maintain neutral buoyancy).
   
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1.5.1 Osmoregulation  

Note: This material is covered in the reading for subunit 1.5.

1.5.2 Buoyancy  

• Reading: The Earthlife Web’s “Fish Anatomy: The Swim Bladder”

  Link: The Earthlife Web’s “Fish Anatomy: The Swim Bladder” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety; the material will give you a good sense of the behaviors and adaptations of fish in maintaining their buoyancy and withstanding pressure.  This will cover the topics outlined in sections 1.5.2 and 1.5.3.
   
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1.5.3 Pressure  

Note: This material was covered in the reading for subunit 1.5.2.

1.5.4 Light Limitations  

Note: This material was covered in the reading for subunit 1.2.4.

1.5.5 Viscosity  

• Web Media: University of Wisconsin Madison: Professor Michael Graham’s “How to Swim in Corn Syrup”

  Link: University of Wisconsin Madison: Professor Michael Graham’s “How to Swim in Corn Syrup” (HTML and YouTube)
   
  Instructions: We tend to think of water as something that is easy to swim in and easy to move through; if your goggles came off underwater, it would be no trouble to reach out and grab them. But water is a very different, and much thicker, medium for small aquatic organisms.  For them, movement requires different strategies, and grabbing something through water is as difficult as it is for you to scoop a piece of an egg shell out of a bowl of raw eggs using a fork. Read the section “How to Swim in Corn Syrup” and watch the accompanying videos, which demonstrates how small marine organisms that exist at low Reynolds numbers (where the ratio of inertia to viscosity is low) move in an environment that feels much denser to them than it does to larger swimmers.
   
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• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Time and Tide”

  Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Time and Tide” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete the entire assessment.  You can check your answers against the answer key here. 

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Unit 2: Marine Food Webs  

In this unit, you will begin your introduction to marine life by looking at how organisms are connected through trophic levels, or food chains.  This unit will address what types of organisms are primary producers, consumers, and detritivores (deposit feeders) and will examine their interactions.  Although some animal species will be specifically named in this section, for the moment focus on the relationships among them rather than on their names or taxonomic affiliations; species will be described in more detail in Unit 3.

Unit 2 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 2 Learning Outcomes   show close


• Lecture: MIT: Professor Penny Chisholm’s “Regulation of Productivity”

  Link: MIT: Professor Penny Chisholm’s “Regulation of Productivity” (Adobe Flash, iTunes U, and MP3)
   
  Instructions: Watch Lecture 19 (“Regulation of Productivity”) in its entirety (47:20 minutes).  This lecture will cover Unit 2 (and will serve as a refresher for material in Unit 1).  Because the first part of the lecture focuses on terrestrial ecosystems, begin watching 14 minutes into the video lecture.  MIT Opencourseware gives you the option of watching this video from its site or downloading it via iTunes; do whichever you prefer.  Approximately two or three minutes of lecture (in the section on diatoms) have no video, as images were removed due to copyright concerns, but the rest of the video is intact.
   
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2.1 Primary Producers  

2.1.1 Algae  

Note: The appropriate taxonomic classification of marine algae (seaweeds and kelp) is a much-debated topic, and not all “seaweeds” are classified in the same general taxa—or even in the same phylum.  It is generally agreed, however, that algae are not true plants, as they lack vasculature and root systems and reproduce not by flowering but via spores.  For these reasons, even though they are large, multicellular organisms, they are sometimes placed in the kingdom Protista.

• Reading: National University of Ireland, Galway: Michael Guiry’s Seaweed Site: “What Are Algae?”, “What Are Seaweeds?”, “Green Seaweed,” “Brown Seaweed,” and “Red Seaweed;” Proquest and CSA’s Discovery Guides: Katina Bucher Norris’s “Dimethylsulfide Emission: Climate Control by Marine Algae?”

  Links: National University of Ireland, Galway: Michael Guiry’s Seaweed Site: “What Are Algae?” (HTML), “What Are Seaweeds?” (HTML), “Green Seaweed” (HTML), “Brown Seaweed” (HTML), and “Red Seaweed” (HTML); Proquest and CSA’s Discovery Guides: Katina Bucher Norris’s “Dimethylsulfide Emission: Climate Control by Marine Algae?” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: From Michael Guiry’s Seaweed Site, read the entirety of every section except “Green Seaweed”; for this section, read only the subsection “Characteristics.”  Do not concern yourself with the details of the chemical composition of the algal types.  In “Dimethylsulfide Emission,” read the Introduction, The Production of DMS, and DMS Effects on Grazing; this will introduce you to some of the chemicals that are produced and/or released by many marine algae and microalgae, which both affect larger biogeochemical cycles and function as inducible chemical defenses.
   
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2.1.2 Kelp  

• Reading: University of California, Santa Cruz: Dr. Mark D. Readdie’s The Macrocystis Homepage: “Morphology” and “Reproduction”

  Link: University of California, Santa Cruz: Dr.  Mark D.  Readdie’s The Macrocystis Homepage:  “Morphology” (HTML) and “Reproduction” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the two sections in their entirety.
   
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2.1.3 Bacteria  

• Reading: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Cyanobacteria:” “Introduction” and “Life

  Link: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Cyanobacteria:” “Introduction” (HTML) and “Life History and Ecology” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entire “Introduction.”  In “Life History and Ecology,” read only the subsection “Cyanobacteria Are Photosynthetic.”
   
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2.2 Plankton  

2.2.1 Phytoplankton  

• Reading: NASA’s “What Are Phytoplankton?” and MarineBio’s “Forests of the Sea: Phytoplankton and Marine Plants”

  Links: NASA’s “What Are Phytoplankton?” (HTML) and MarineBio’s “Forests of the Sea: Phytoplankton and Marine Plants” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: On “What Are Phytoplankton,” read the introduction, and then click on the links on the right to read the sections entitled “Importance of Phytoplankton” and “Studying Phytoplankton.” For the “Forests of the Sea” reading, scroll down the webpage and read only the paragraphs entitled “Phytoplankton,” “Diatoms,” and “Dinoflagellates.”
   
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2.2.2 Zooplankton  

• Reading: MarineBio’s “Zooplankton”

  Link: MarineBio’s “Zooplankton” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety, but do not concern yourself with the technical, taxonomic names of various members of the zooplankton.  Instead, notice the incredible diversity of life and life stages of organisms in the plankton, and pay close attention to their adaptations and the factors that influence their community structure and distribution.
   
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2.3 Filter Feeders (Also Called “Suspension Feeders”)  

• Reading: The Daily Kos’s “Marine Life Series: Filter Feeders” Parts I and II

  Link: The Daily Kos’s “Marine Life Series: Filter Feeders” Part I (HTML) and Part II (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read both sections in their entirety.
   
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2.4 Predators  

• Reading: Texas A&M University: Professor Robert Stewart’s Oceanography in the 21st Century: “Marine Food Webs”

  Link: Texas A&M University: Professor Robert Stewart’s Oceanography in the 21^st Century: “Marine Food Webs” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the subsections “Small Predators,” “Top Predators,” and “Food Chains and Food Webs.”
   
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2.5 Deposit Feeders  

• Assessment: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 6: Multicellular Primary Producers”

  Link: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 6: Multicellular Primary Producers” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Answer all questions (1-15) on this multiple choice quiz.  This quiz will assess what you have learned in Unit 2.
   
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• Reading: EconGuru’s Fundamentals of Ecology: “Ecosystems” and Washington State Department of Ecology: Shellyne Grisham’s “Nearshore Food Web”

  Link: EconGuru’s Fundamentals of Ecology: “Ecosystems” (HTML) and Washington State Department of Ecology: Shellyne Grisham’s “Nearshore Food Web” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the EconGuru webpage to the text and figure on “An Ocean Detritus Food Web.”  Read this text (one paragraph before and one after the figure), and study the accompanying figure. Arrows in the figure sometimes indicate what is eating what and sometimes relate to cycles of decay.  For a more straightforward figure, go to the Nearshore Food Web figure.
   
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• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Your Own Food Web”

  Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Your Own Food Web” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete the entire assessment.  You can check your answers against the answer key here. 

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Unit 3: Life Cycles  

There are many different ways to classify marine animals.  Some of the most basic have to do with how they develop as embryos; how they reproduce; and how their offspring develop.  The embryos of only a few groups of animals, including humans, exhibit deuterostome development; we share this trait with such unlikely organisms as starfish and sea urchins! (Deuterostomes are also the only organisms that can have identical twins, because the fate of embryonic cells is indeterminate.) Marine organisms have also developed a wide variety of reproductive strategies to deal with the environmental conditions they face; for examples, if mates are scarce, or hard to reach, it might be better to be a simultaneous hermaphrodite: that way anyone you encounter is a possible mate.  The offspring of marine organisms display a similar diversity of life stages, appearances, and behaviors.  Because they exist in an environment that is wet, without the threat of desiccation, many marine organisms have external reproduction, releasing their gametes directly into the water; the resulting zygotes travel on the ocean currents from the moment of their conception.  Many other organisms release free-swimming larvae that drift as part of the plankton for days or weeks before metamorphosing.  For organisms that are slow-moving or sessile (unmoving or attached to a substrate) as adults, these drifting eggs and larvae provide the only means of dispersing their populations to other habitats.  

Unit 3 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 3 Learning Outcomes   show close


3.1 Identify Protostome and Deuterostome Development  

• Reading: Marietta College’s The Online Biology Book: “Deuterostomes and Protostomes”

  Link: Marietta College’s The Online Biology Book: “Deuterostomes and Protostomes” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this section on the differences between these two basic types of development.
   
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3.2 Types of Reproductive Strategies  

• Reading: MarineBio’s “Marine Life Cycles”

  Link: MarineBio’s MarineBio: “Marine Life Cycles” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this web page.  It will cover the topics outlined in subunits 3.2.1-3.2.3 and 3.3.1.
   
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3.2.1 Sexual vs. Asexual Reproduction  

3.2.2 Planktotrophic vs. Lecithotrophic Larvae  

3.2.3 Gonochorism (Two Sexes) vs. Hermaphroditism  

Note: This material was covered in the reading for subunit 3.2.

3.2.4 Sex Change  

• Reading: Odyssey Expeditions: Jason Buchheim’s “A Quick Course in Icthyology”: “Hermaphroditic Fish” and Davidson College: Professor Aaron Rice’s “Terminology Relevant to Sex-Change”

  Link: Odyssey Expeditions: Jason Buchheim’s “A Quick Course in Icthyology":  Hermaphroditic Fish” (HMTL) and Davidson College: Professor Aaron Rice’s “Terminology Relevant to Sex-Change” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: In “Ichthyology,” read the section on hermaphroditism in fish, focusing in particular on sex change.  Please note that sex change occurs in a number of different marine species (including some snails, oysters, and shrimp), not just fish. Read the page on “Terminology” to understand the size-advantage hypothesis (originally put forth by Michael Ghiselin), the model that is accepted as the best explanation for the advantages of changing sex.
   
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3.2.5 Parasitic Males  

• Web Media: Sundance Channel: Isabella Rossellini’s “Green Porno” Seasons 2 and 3 and “Seduce Me” Season 1

  Link: Sundance Channel: Isabella Rossellini’s “Green Porno” (Adobe Flash) Seasons 2 and 3 and “Seduce Me” (Adobe Flash) Season 1
   
  Instructions: This is an optional resource.  From the Green Porno webpage, scroll down to the right-hand tabs that give you a choice of watching episodes of “Seduce Me” Season 1 or “Green Porno – All.”  Watch these clever, scientifically accurate, and raunchy episodes on squid, shrimp, anchovy, elephant seals, starfish, whales, anglerfish, barnacles, salmon, and cuttlefish.  Please note, however, that the episode on “Limpets” confuses true limpets (which look like the ones in the video but do not stack) with slipper-shell limpets (also called slipper-shell snails, genus Crepidula), which are not closely related to true limpets but do pair or stack up and also change sex.
   
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• Reading: Palomar College: Professor W. P. Armstrong’s Wayne’s Word, An On-Line Textbook of Natural History: “Mysterious Males of the Deep-Sea Anglerfish”

  Link: Palomar College: Professor W. P. Armstrong’s Wayne’s Word, An On-Line Textbook of Natural History: “Mysterious Males of the Deep-Sea Anglerfish” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this section (“Mysterious Males”) to learn about another reproductive strategy employed by organisms living in environments where other individuals are very scarce.
   
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3.2.6 External vs. Internal Fertilization  

• Web Media: National Geographic’s “Coral Reef Spawning”

  Link: National Geographic’s “Coral Reef Spawning” (Adobe Flash)
   
  Instructions: Watch this short (3 minutes) video to see external fertilization in action and also learn about the adaptations of organisms to ensure reproductive success, even as they cast their sperm and eggs upon the waters.
   
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3.3 Types of Life Cycles  

3.3.1 Simple and Complex Life Cycles  

Note: This topic is covered in the reading under subunit 3.2.

3.3.2 Planktotrophic vs. Lecithotrophic Larvae  

• Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “Planktotrophic vs. Lecithotrophic Larvae”

  Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Planktotrophic vs. Lecithotrophic Larvae”
   
  Instructions: Read this subsection on types of larval development and its consequences for the dispersal or marine organisms.

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• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Lists of Love”

  Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Lists of Love” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete the entire assessment.  You can check your answers against the answer key here. 

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Unit 4: Marine Life  

When children say they want to study marine biology, it usually means that they want to study whales or dolphins or seals.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it would be a mistake to believe that the majority of marine animals are whales, dolphins, or seals—or even fish.  On the contrary, the vast majority of life in the ocean is composed of creatures with an amazing diversity of body plans and life histories, and almost all of them are invertebrates.  Unlike vertebrates, invertebrate animals are not all part of a single phylum; they belong to many different phyla, each with its own unique characteristics.  In this unit you will learn about some of the major groups of marine organisms, vertebrate and invertebrate.  Please note: the subunits below include taxonomic information on these animals, but do not feel obliged to memorize them; they are placed there to give you an idea of the relationships among groups of organisms.

Unit 4 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 4 Learning Outcomes   show close


4.1 Sponges (Phylum Porifera)  

• Reading: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Phylogeny of Life: Porifera”: “Introduction,” “Life History and Ecology,” and “More on Morphology”

  Link: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Phylogeny of Life:  Porifera”: “Introduction” (HTML), “Life History and Ecology” (HTML), and “More on Morphology” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of these three sections; in “More on Morphology,” follow the links to read about sponge cells and the sponge skeleton.  These readings will cover the topics outlined in subunits 4.1.1 and 4.1.2.
   
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4.1.1 Characteristics and Organization  

• Reading: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Phylum Porifera”

  Link: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Phylum Porifera” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety, and then click on the tab marked “Specimens” to see illustrations of the types of sponge body plans.
   
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4.1.2 Water Flow  

4.2 Polychaetes (Phylum Annelida, Class Polychaeta)  

• Reading: Encyclopedia of Life: “Polychaeta”

  Link: Encyclopedia of Life’s “Polychaeta”
   
  Instructions: Please read all of the "Details" sections, then examine the top tab labeled "5106 Media" for pictures of these organisms.
   
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4.3 Cnidarians (Phylum Cnidaria)  

• Reading: Estrella Mountain Community College: Dr. Michael Farabee’s Online Biology Book: “Tissues: Jellyfish, Corals, and Sea Anemones”

  Link: Estrella Mountain Community College: Dr.  Michael Farabee’s Online Biology Book: “Tissues: Jellyfish, Corals, and Sea Anemones” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this introduction to cnidarians up to but not including the section on “Class Anthozoa.”
   
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4.3.1 Scyphozoa (Jellyfish)  

Note: Many animals that are not in the Phylum Cnidaria are also referred to as “jellies” or “jellyfish,” including the “comb jellies,” or ctenophores, which are members of an entirely different phylum! These organisms look like jellyfish but use cilia to move and do not produce their own stinging cells (“cnidae” or “nematocysts”).

• Reading: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Class Scyphozoa”

  Link: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Class Scyphozoa” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety, then click on the tab marked “Specimens” to see illustrations of the types of scyphozoa body plans. Also, click on the tab marked “Pictures” to see some of the incredible forms that jellyfish take.
   
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4.3.2 Anthozoa (Anemones and Corals)  

• Reading: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Anthozoa:” “Introduction,” “Life History and Ecology,” and “More on Morphology”

  Link: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Anthozoa:” “Introduction” (HTML), “Life History and Ecology” (HTML), and “More on Morphology” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read each section in its entirety.
   
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4.3.3 Hydrozoa (Siphonophores, Hydroids)  

• Reading: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Hydrozoa:” “Introduction,” “Life History and Ecology,” and “More on Morphology”

  Link: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Hydrozoa:” “Introduction” (HTML), “Life History and Ecology” (HTML), and “More on Morphology” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read each section in its entirety.
   
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4.3.4 Cubozoa (Box Jellies)  

• Reading: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Cubozoa:” “Introduction,” “Life History and Ecology,” and “More on Morphology”

  Link: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Cubozoa:”  “Introduction” (HTML), “Life History and Ecology” (HTML), and “More on Morphology” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read each section in its entirety.
   
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4.4 Marine Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)  

• Reading: MarineBio’s “Marine Arthropods”

  Link: MarineBio’s “Marine Arthropods” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the first section of this page (up to but not including “Taxonomy”) and the later subsection “Life Histories.”
   
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4.4.1 Horse-shoe Crabs (Subphylum Chelicerata, Class Merostomata)  

Link: The Ecological Research and Development Group’s The Horseshoe Crab: “Anatomy” (HTML), “Life Cycle” (HTML), “Spawning” (HTML), and “Ecological Niche” (HTML)
 
Instructions: In “Anatomy,” read the subsections on Gross Anatomy, Vision, and the Circulatory System.  In “Life Cycle,” scroll over the timeline to see the horseshoe crab at different life stages.  Read all of the sections “Spawning” “Ecological Niche.”
 
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4.4.2 Common Crustaceans (Class Malacostraca, Order Decapoda)  

• Reading: University of Bristol: Dr. Robert D. Crean’s “Order Decapoda:” “Characters and Anatomy” and “Major Groups of Decapods”

  Link: University of Bristol: Dr.  Robert D.  Crean’s “Order Decapoda:” “Characters and Anatomy” (HTML) and “Major Groups of Decapods” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read these two sections in their entirety.  On the “Major Groups” page, click on the links to “infraorders” to get a sense of what organisms this order includes.
   
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4.4.2.1 Lobsters  

• Web Media: Dartmouth College and Bigelow Laboratory’s “Hatch to Catch”

  Link: Dartmouth College and Bigelow Laboratory’s “Hatch to Catch” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: The graphics are very low-level (and “Clawdia,” your guide, seems like the cartoon host for a children’s show), but this exercise is in fact quite complex and requires that you think about ocean circulation, food webs, and life cycles, as well as lobster physiology, in order to plot out the best environment in which lobster larvae should be hatched and should settle.
   
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• Reading: The Lobster Conservancy’s “Lobster Biology”

  Link: The Lobster Conservancy’s “Lobster Biology” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This site contains several pages on lobster biology.  Read the page on “Body Plan,” and then click on the link on the left to read the pages on “Molting and Growth,” “Distribution/Life Cycle” [one page], and “Larvae and Post-Larvae.”
   
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4.4.2.2 Fiddler Crabs  

• Reading: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Uca pugnax”

  Link: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Uca pugnax” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety; it will give you a sense of the diversity of behaviors, habitat, and physiologies of crustaceans.
   
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4.4.3 Copepods (Subphylum Crustacea)  

• Reading: Professor Giuseppe Pesce’s Copepod Web Portal: “Introduction to Copepods”

  Link: Professor Giuseppe Pesce’s Copepod Web Portal: “Introduction to Copepods” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the first portion of this webpage and the section entitled “Body Plan.”  Do not read the section on copepod “Systematics.”  Please note that copepods are the major food source for many marine organisms, including commercially important fish species and many baleen-whale species.
   
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4.4.4 Barnacles (Subphylum Crustacea)  

• Web Media: YouTube: Dr. Randy Olson’s “Barnacles Tell No Lies”

  Link: YouTube: Dr.  Randy Olson’s “Barnacles Tell No Lies” (YouTube)
   
  Instructions: This is an optional resource.  If you like, watch this entertaining video (about 4 minutes long) by marine biologist/filmmaker Randy Olson, which will give you a new appreciation for barnacles.
   
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• Reading: Rhode Island Sea Grant’s Fact Sheets: “Barnacle” and University of Newcastle: Keith Davey’s “Life on Australian Seashores:” “Barnacles”

  Link: Rhode Island Sea Grant’s Fact Sheets: “Barnacle” (HTML) and University of Newcastle: Keith Davey’s “Life on Australian Seashores:” “Barnacles” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read these webpages in their entirety, but do not concern yourself with the examples of barnacle species.
   
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4.5 Marine Mollusks (Phylum Mollusca)  

• Reading: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “The Mollusca”

  Link: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “The Mollusca” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read all sections except “The Fossil Record.”  This will provide you with an overview of the phylum and its characteristics.
   
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4.5.1 Chitons (Class Polyplacophora)  

• Reading: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Polyplacophora”

  Link: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Polyplacophora” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety.
   
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4.5.2 Gastropods (Class Gastropoda)  

• Reading: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “The Gastropoda” and Nudibranch.Com’s “About Nudibranchs: Opistobranchs”

  Links: Readings: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “The Gastropoda” (HTML) and Nudibranch.Com’s “About Nudibranchs:  Opistobranchs” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read all of “The Gastropoda.”  In “About Nudibranchs,” read all sections except “How Nudibranchs Are Named” and “Collection and Preservation.”  Please bear in mind that the subclasses “Opistobranchia” (sea slugs and relatives) and “Prosobranchia” (marine/freshwater gilled snails), although useful as conceptual categories, are no longer considered to be phylogenetically valid.
   
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4.5.3 Bivalves (Class Bivalvia)  

• Reading: Bivalves (Class Bivalvia)

  Link: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “The Bivalvia” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read all sections except “The Fossil Record.”
   
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4.5.4 Cephalopods (Class Cephalopoda; Octopuses, Squid, Cuttlefish, and Nautili)  

• Web Media: PBS NOVA: “Cuttlefish: Kings of Camouflage”

  Link: PBS NOVA: “Cuttlefish: Kings of Camouflage” (Adobe Flash)
   
  Instructions: Follow the internal links on this page to watch video clips of cuttlefish color-change behavior; read interviews with cuttlefish researchers; and go through an interactive slideshow of cuttlefish anatomy.
   
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• Reading: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “The Cephalopoda”

  Link: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “The Cephalopoda” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read all sections of this page.  For the section “Fossil Record,” read only the subsection “Nautiloids and Ammonoids.”
   
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• Reading: Dr. James B. Wood’s “The Cephalopod Page”

  Link: Dr.  James B.  Wood’s “The Cephalopod Page” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This is an optional reading.  If you like, browse through this comprehensive site on cephalopods and look at the “Selected Cephalopod Species” and “Cephalopod Articles” to gain a better understanding of the diversity of this class and the research being done on its members.
   
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• Web Media: Giant Pacific Octopus Web Cameras: Hatfield Marine Science Center “Octocam”; and Smithsonian Institution National Zoo “Octopus Cam”

  Link: Giant Pacific Octopus Web Cameras: Hatfield Marine Science Center “Octocam” (Adobe Flash) and Smithsonian Institution National Zoo “Octopus Cam” (Adobe Flash)
   
  Instructions: This is an optional resource.  If you choose to do so, watch these webcams of zoo octopuses in action.
   
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4.6 Echinoderms (Phylum Echinodermata)  

• Reading: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Phylum Echinodermata”

  Link: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Phylum Echinodermata” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this webpage.  Please click on all internal links (blue-colored text) prefaced by a magnifying-glass icon; these are figures that will illustrate the terms in the text.
   
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4.6.1 Asteroids (Starfish)  

• Reading: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Class Asteroidea”

  Link: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Class Asteroidea” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this webpage.  Please click on all internal links (blue-colored text) prefaced by a magnifying-glass icon; these are figures that will illustrate the terms in the text.
   
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4.6.2 Ophiuroids (Brittle Stars)  

• Reading: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Class Ophiuroidea”

  Link: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Class Ophiuroidea” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this webpage.  Please click on all internal links (blue-colored text) prefaced by a magnifying-glass icon; these are figures that will illustrate the terms in the text.
   
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4.6.3 Holothuroids (Sea Cucumbers)  

• Reading: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Class Holothuroidea”

  Link: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Class Holothuroidea” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this webpage.  Please click on all internal links (blue-colored text) prefaced by a magnifying-glass icon; these are figures that will illustrate the terms in the text.
   
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4.6.4 Echinoids (Sea Urchins)  

• Reading: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Class Echinoidea”

  Link: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Class Echinoidea” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this webpage.  Please click on all internal links (blue-colored text) prefaced by a magnifying-glass icon; these are figures that will illustrate the terms in the text.
   
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4.7 Ascidians (Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Urochordata)  

• Reading: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Urochordates”: “Introduction,” and University of California, Berkeley’s Museum of Paleontology’s Chordata: “Life History and Ecology” and “More on Morphology”

  Link: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “Urochordates”:  “Introduction” (HTML) and University of California, Berkeley’s Museum of Paleontology’s Chordata: “Life History and Ecology” (HTML) and “More on Morphology” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read each section in its entirety.
   
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• Assessment: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 7: Marine Animals without Backbones”

  Link: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 7:  Marine Animals without Backbones” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Answer all questions on this multiple choice quiz except 17-20, 24, 36, and 48.  This assignment will assess your grasp of the material covered in subunits 4.1-4.7.
   
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4.8 Fishes (Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata)  

• Reading: Odyssey Expeditions: Jason Buchheim’s “A Quick Course in Ichthyology”

  Link: Odyssey Expeditions: Jason Buchheim’s “A Quick Course in Ichthyology” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: In “A Quick Course in Icthyology,” read all of the sections of this webpage except “Shark Attack,” “Hemaphroditism in Fish” (which you will have read in Unit 3), and “Swim Bladders.”  This reading will cover the topics outlined in subunits 4.8.1-4.8.4.
   
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4.8.1 Primitive Fishes  

Note: This topic is covered by the resource below subunit 4.8.

4.8.2 Sharks and Rays  

Note: This topic is covered by the resource below subunit 4.8.

4.8.3 Bony Fishes  

Note: This topic is covered by the resource below subunit 4.8.

4.8.4 Special Adaptations  

Note: This topic is covered by the resource below subunit 4.8.

• Assessment: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 8: Marine Fishes”

  Link: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 8:  Marine Fishes” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Answer all questions (1-28).  This quiz will test you on what you learned in subunit 4.8.
   
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4.9 Reptiles (Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata)  

• Reading: MarineBio’s “Marine Vertebrates”

  Link: MarineBio’s “Marine Vertebrates” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the section on “Marine Reptiles” to get an overview of these organisms.
   
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4.9.1 Sea Turtles  

• Reading: MarineBio’s “Marine Reptiles”

  Link: MarineBio’s “Marine Reptiles” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this webpage.  Although some details may not yet be filled in (as in the sections beginning “insert info here…”), this page has a great deal of information on marine turtles’ habitats, behaviors, and adaptations.
   
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4.9.2 Sea Snakes  

• Reading: All The Sea’s “Sea Snakes”

  Link: All The Sea’s “Sea Snakes” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the entirety of this webpage. 
   
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4.10 Seabirds (Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata)  

• Web Media: The Scottish Seabird Centre’s “Webcams and Video Clips”

  Link: The Scottish Seabird Centre’s “Webcams and Video Clips” (Adobe Flash)
   
  Instructions: Visit this site to see clips or watch live webcams of wild seabirds (gannets, puffins, gulls, guillemots, and others) on the islands of the Firth of Forth (yes, they’re really called that).
   
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• Reading: Wikipedia’s “Seabird” page and the Alaska SeaLife Center’s “Sea Bird Research”

  Link: Wikipedia’s “Seabird” (HTML) page and the Alaska SeaLife Center’s “Sea Bird Research” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read all sections of the “Seabird” entry except “Evolution and the Fossil Record,” “Role in Culture,” and “Seabird Families.”  This reading will cover subunits 4.10.1-4.10.4.  Read the introductory page of “Sea Bird Research,” and click on the small picture of the spectacled eider to read about the research questions being asked about sea birds and the areas of research the SeaLife Center is focusing on.
   
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4.10.1 Sphenisciformes (Penguins)  

Note: This topic is covered in the reading below subunit 4.10.

4.10.2 Procellariiformes (Albatrosses, Petrels, Shearwaters)  

Note: This topic is covered in the reading below subunit 4.10.

4.10.3 Pelecaniformes (Pelicans, Gannets, Boobies, Cormorants, Frigatebirds)  

Note: This topic is covered in the reading below subunit 4.10.

4.10.4 Charadriiformes (Skuas, Gulls, Terns, Auks, Skimmers)  

Note: This topic is covered in the reading below subunit 4.10.

4.11 Marine Mammals (Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata)  

• Reading: The Marine Mammal Center’s “Introduction to Marine Mammals” and “Classification”

  Link: The Marine Mammal Center’s “Introduction to Marine Mammals” (HTML) and “Classification” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read these two pages in their entirety for an overview of the characteristics and types of marine mammals.
   
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4.11.1 Baleen Whales  

• Reading: The Tree of Life Web Project: Drs. Michel C. Milinkovitch and Olivier Lambert’s “Cetacea”

  Link: The Tree of Life Web Project: Drs.  Michel C.  Milinkovitch and Olivier Lambert’s “Cetacea” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the subsections “Introduction,” “Characteristics,” “Breathing,” and “Hearing and Echolocation.”  These readings will cover subunits 4.11.1 and 4.11.2.
   
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4.11.2 Toothed Whales  

Note: This topic is covered by the reading below subunit 4.11.1.

4.11.3 Pinnipeds  

• Reading: The Marine Mammal Center’s “The Pinnipeds”

  Link: The Marine Mammal Center’s “The Pinnipeds” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety.
   
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4.11.4 Dugongs and Manatees  

• Reading: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Sirenia: Information”

  Link: University of Michigan Museum of Zoology’s Animal Diversity Web: “Sirenia: Information” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety.
   
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4.11.5 Sea Otters  

• Reading: Alaska Department of Fish and Game: Karl Schneider and Brenda Ballachey’s “Sea Otter” Wildlife Notebook

  Link: Alaska Department of Fish and Game: Karl Schneider and Brenda Ballachey’s “Sea Otter” (PDF) Wildlife Notebook
   
  Instructions: Select the link titled “Sea Otter” to open the PDF. Read the document in its entirety.
   
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4.11.6 Polar Bears  

• Reading: Encyclopedia of Life’s “Ursus maritimus”

  Link: Encyclopedia of Life’s “Ursus maritimus” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety.
   
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• Reading: MarineBio’s “Video Library”

  Link: MarineBio’s “Video Library” (YouTube)
   
  Instructions: This is an optional resource.  Browse the array of videos and video clips owned by MarineBio or click on the links to other online videos of a vast array of marine organisms.
   
  Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.

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• Assessment: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 9: Marine Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals”

  Link: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 9:  Marine Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Answer all questions (1-39).  This quiz will test you on what you learned in subunits 4.9-4.11.
   
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• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “Species Specific Horseshoe Crabs”

  Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “Species Specific Horseshoe Crabs” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete the entire assessment.  You can check your answers against the answer key here.

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Unit 5: Marine Ecology  

The marine environment is not homogeneous.  Variations in oceanic habitats (i.e.  changes in temperature, depth, and light penetrance) provide opportunities for a variety of communities to develop.  We will begin this unit by learning the three major ocean zones—intertidal, benthic, and pelagic—and will continue on to study seven different types of communities that occur in or around the ocean.  We will look at the typical species, adaptations, food webs, population, and material cycles within each of these communities.      

Unit 5 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 5 Learning Outcomes   show close


5.1 Ocean Zonation  

• Reading: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “The Marine Biome:” “Oceans”

  Link: University of California Museum of Paleontology’s “The Marine Biome:” “Oceans” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the section on the zones of “Oceans.”  This reading will cover the topics outlined in subunits 5.1.1-5.1.3.
   
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5.1.1 Intertidal  

Note: This topic is covered by the reading below subunit 5.1.

5.1.2 Pelagic  

Note: This topic is covered by the reading below subunit 5.1.

5.1.3 Benthic  

Note: This topic is covered by the reading below subunit 5.1.

5.2 Marine Communities  

5.2.1 Estuarine  

• Reading: MarineBio’s “Estuaries, Salt Marshes, and Mangroves”

  Link: MarineBio’s “Estuaries, Salt Marshes, and Mangroves” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read the page in its entirety. These will cover subunits 5.2.1, 5.2.2, and 5.2.3.1.
   
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5.2.2 Mangrove Forest  

• Assessment: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 12: Estuaries”

  Link: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 12:  Estuaries” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Answer all questions (1-19).  Some questions may ask for details not given in your readings; if so, use this as a further learning tool: make your best guess and learn from your results.  This quiz will test what you learned in subunits 5.2.1 and 5.2.2.
   
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5.2.3 Intertidal  

5.2.3.1 Rocky Shore  

Note: This material is covered under the reading for subunit 5.2.2.

5.2.3.2 Rocky Shore  

• Reading: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 11: Between the Tides”

  Link: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 11:  Between the Tides” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This quiz will test you on what you learned in subunit 5.2.3.  Answer all questions (1-26).  Some questions may ask for details not given in your readings; if so, use this as a further learning tool: make your best guess and learn from your results.
   
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• Reading: Orange County Marine Protected Area Council’s “Rocky Intertidal Ecosystems”

  Link: Orange County Marine Protected Area Council’s “Rocky Intertidal Ecosystems” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: From the link above, scroll down to the section on “Research & Monitoring” and click on the link “Rocky Intertidal Ecosystems,” which will connect you to a PDF file.  Read the section “Intertidal Zonation Patterns” (pages 5-7).
   
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5.2.4 Coral Reef  

• Reading: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s “What Are Coral Reefs?” and “Biodiversity”

  Links: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)’s “What Are Coral Reefs?” (HTML) and “Biodiversity” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read all of “What Are Coral Reefs?” (you may find information on coral anatomy familiar to you from Unit 4) and “Biodiversity.”
   
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• Assessment: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 14: Coral Reefs”

  Link: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 14:  Coral Reefs” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This quiz will test you on what you learned in subunit 5.2.4.  Answer all questions (1-29). 
   
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5.2.5 Pelagic  

• Reading: MarineBio’s “The Open Ocean”

  Link: MarineBio’s “The Open Ocean” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety.
   
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• Assessment: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 15: Life near the Surface”

  Link: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 15:  Life near the Surface” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This is an optional assignment that you may choose to complete after you have worked through 5.2.5.  Answer all questions (1-37).  It is optional because it covers considerably more material than was covered by your reading; if you wish to test your knowledge and learn from your results you may take it.
   
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5.2.6 Deep Sea  

• Web Media: The New York Times: “A Complex Food Chain” and National Geographic’s “Dumbo and Other Deep-Sea Oddities Found”

  Link: The New York Times: “A Complex Food Chain” (HTML) and National Geographic’s “Dumbo and Other Deep-Sea Oddities Found” (Adobe Flash)
   
  Instructions: View this slideshow on marine deep-sea communities in the Gulf of Mexico, and watch this video on bizarre deep-sea life.
   
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• Reading: MarineBio’s “The Deep Sea”

  Link: MarineBio’s “The Deep Sea” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety.
   
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5.2.7 Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Vents  

• Assessment: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 16: The Ocean Depths”

  Link: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 16:  The Ocean Depths” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This quiz will test you on what you learned in subunits 5.2.6 and 5.2.7.  Answer all questions (1-29).  Some questions address topics from Unit 1; you may wish to refresh your knowledge of those topics before taking the quiz.
   
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• Web Media: BBC Nature’s “Hydrothermal Vents;” Monterey Institute and NOAA’s “Chemosynthetic Food Web”

  Links: BBC Nature’s “Hydrothermal Vents” (Adobe Flash) Monterey Institute and NOAA’s “Chemosynthetic Food Web” (Adobe Flash)
   
  Instructions: For “Hydrothermal Vents,” read the introduction (one paragraph), and then scroll down to the figure depicting the location of hydrothermal vents along the ocean floor.  Scroll back up and click on the video “Deep Surprises” to learn more about the Pompeii worm, a remarkable vent-dwelling organism (about 4 minutes).  For the Chemosynthetic Food Web, read the instructions, and then run your cursor over each organism to read about its trophic role.  Place the species into the food web, and then choose “Show food web” to see which organisms eat or depend upon which in this bizarre community.
   
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• Reading: NOAA: NeMO Explorer: “Hydrothermal Vents;” Monterey Institute and NOAA’s “Chemosynthesis vs. Photosynthesis”

  Link: NOAA: NeMO Explorer: “Hydrothermal Vents” (HTML); Monterey Institute and NOAA’s “Chemosynthesis vs. Photosynthesis” (Adobe Flash)
   
  Instructions: Read both pages in their entirety to understand the makeup of vents and the ways in which the microorganisms at the base of vent communities are like and unlike primary producers that rely on light for energy.
   
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• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “This Is Why Researchers Get Travel Grants”

  Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “This Is Why Researchers Get Travel Grants” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete the entire assessment.  You can check your answers against the answer key here.

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Unit 6: Current Topics in Marine Biology  

In this final unit, we will shift our focus from what is already known about Marine Biology to what is currently being learned.  This unit should give you a sense of the research opportunities that exist in this field and provide you with a better understanding of the processes involved in Marine Biology research.  The unit will begin by covering recent findings on the impact that humans have on ocean ecology.  We will then look at Marine Biology topics that have emerged in the mainstream media as well as in scientific journals.

Unit 6 Time Advisory   show close


Unit 6 Learning Outcomes   show close


6.1 Human Impact  

6.1.1 Pollution  

• Reading: MarineBio’s “Ocean Pollution”

  Link: MarineBio’s “Ocean Pollution” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Scroll past the video and read the entire article.  Make sure to also click on the “next” arrow key to read page two of “Ocean Pollution.”  When you are done reading, watch the brief (about 8 minutes) TED lecture on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.
   
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• Web Media: The Washington Post: Gulf Oil Spill Slideshows: “Animal Victims” and “Hearings, Cleanup, and Containment”

  Link: The Washington Post: Gulf Oil Spill Slideshows:  “Animal Victims” (HTML) and “Hearings, Cleanup, and Containment” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Go through these slideshows to observe the effects of and responses to the April 20, 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.
   
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6.1.2 Fisheries  

6.1.2.1 Problems: Overfishing  

• Lecture: MIT Video: Daniel Pauly’s “Fisheries and Global Warming: Impacts on Marine Ecosystems and Food Security”

  Link: MIT Video: Daniel Pauly’s “Fisheries and Global Warming: Impacts on Marine Ecosystems and Food Security” (Adobe Flash)
   
  Instructions: Watch this lecture (about 51 minutes).  It will cover subunits 6.1.2 and 6.1.4.
   
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• Reading: See the Sea’s “Overfishing” and The New England Aquarium’s “Bycatch Overview”

  Links: See the Sea’s “Overfishing” (HTML) and The New England Aquarium’s “Bycatch Overview” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read each page in its entirety.
   
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• Web Media: The Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC)’s “Cod Fishing: To the Last Fish”

  Link: The Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC)’s “Cod Fishing: To the Last Fish” (Adobe Flash)
   
  Instructions: Watch this news-show clip (about 9 minutes) about the decline of fish and fisheries generally and cod populations in particular.
   
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6.1.2.2 Solutions: Sustainable Fishing and Aquaculture  

• Web Media: Lenfest Ocean Program: Stanford University’s “Fish Farm Wastes Can Drift to Distant Shores”

  Link: Lenfest Ocean Program: Stanford University’s “Fish Farm Wastes Can Drift to Distant Shores” (YouTube)
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the page to watch the 3-minute Stanford University video about the potential pollutant dangers of fish farms.
   
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• Reading: MarineBio’s “Sustainable Fisheries” and Conservation Magazine: Sarah Simpson’s “Taming the Blue Frontier”

  Links: MarineBio’s “Sustainable Fisheries” (Adobe Flash) and Conservation Magazine: Sarah Simpson’s “Taming the Blue Frontier” (HTML and YouTube)
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the “Sustainable Fisheries” page to “Solutions;” read this section in its entirety to see what is being done and can be done to achieve and promote sustainable fishing.  Although aquaculture—growing fish and other seafood in marine “farms”—seems like a simple enough solution to the problem of overfishing, there are concerns that such farms could cause more ecological damage than they prevent unless they are done right.  Read this article about the subject and watch the very short (1–2 minute) embedded video about aquaculture.  For “Taming the Blue Frontier,” please read the entire 1-page article.
   
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6.1.3 Invasive Species  

• Reading: The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s Marine Invasions Lab: “About the Lab”

  Link: The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s Marine Invasions Lab: “About the Lab” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This reading is optional.  If you want to learn more about invasive-species’ biology and the research being done to determine how invasions begin and what to do about them, read this introductory page and follow the research links (Vector Ecology, Population Ecology, etc.).
   
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• Reading: MarineBio’s MarineBio: “Alien Species”

  Link: MarineBio’s MarineBio: “Alien Species” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety.
   
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6.1.4 Global Climate Change  

6.1.4.1 Influence of Global Warming on Oceans  

• Reading: NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management’s “Climate Change” and “Currents—Effects of Climate Change;” MarineBio’s “Global Warming—Climate Change”

  Link: NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management’s “Climate Change” (HTML) and “Currents—Effects of Climate Change (HTML);” MarineBio’s “Global Warming—Climate Change” (HTML and Adobe Flash)
   
  Instructions: Read the NOAA pages in their entirety for an overview of the influences changing temperature will have on the oceans.  Then, read the first two pages of MarineBio’s “Global Warming” to get a much more in-depth picture of the process and its implications.  Also, watch the fourth embedded video, Jeff Corwin’s “Lobsters Feeling the Heat.”
   
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6.1.4.2 Influence of Ocean Acidification on Oceans  

• Reading: National Academies of Science: Division of Earth and Life Studies’ Ocean Acidification: Starting with the Science

  Link: National Academies of Science: Division of Earth and Life Studies’ Ocean Acidification: Starting with the Science (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Follow the directions on the website: “And you can directly download the PDF by clicking here.”  Once the PDF has downloaded, read pages 8–19 to learn about the chemical processes affected by ocean acidification and the organisms and ecosystems that are suffering or that may suffer from it.
   
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• Web Media: Oregon Sea Grant: Dr. Richard Feely’s “Ocean Acidification” Videos: Part I, Part II, and Part III

  Link: Oregon Sea Grant: Dr. Richard Feely’s “Ocean Acidification” Videos Part I (Adobe Flash), Part II (Adobe Flash), and Part III (Adobe Flash)
   
  Instructions: Scroll down the page to “Ocean Acidification,” and then click on the links to watch the brief videos (1–3 minutes each) discussing acidification and its impacts.
   
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• Reading: Skeptical Science’s “OA Not OK”

  Link: Skeptical Science’s “OA Not OK” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This reading is optional.  This multi-part series from skeptical science describes in simple, entertaining, and accurate language the process of ocean acidification and its implications.  If you like, click on each of the posts, which are linked to from this introductory page, or choose which sections you are most interested in learning more about.
   
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6.1.5 Marine Conservation: Marine Protected Areas  

• Reading: MarineBio’s “Habitat Conservation”

  Link: MarineBio’s “Habitat Conservation” (HTML and YouTube)
   
  Instructions: Read this page in its entirety.
   
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• Assessment: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 18: Human Impacts”

  Link: McGraw-Hill: Drs. Peter Castro and Michael Huber’s Marine Biology: “Quiz for Chapter 18:  Human Impacts” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Answer all questions (1-23) after you have completed subunit 6.1.
   
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6.2 Current Research  

6.2.1 In the News  

• Reading: ScienceDaily News: Marine Biology (Sample Articles: “Damselfish 'Gardeners' Selectively Weed Algal Gardens” and “Harbor Seals' Whiskers as Good at Detecting Fish as Echolocating Dolphins, Researchers Find”)

  Link: ScienceDaily News:  Marine Biology (HTML) Sample Articles: “Damselfish 'Gardeners' Selectively Weed Algal Gardens” (HTML) and “Harbor Seals' Whiskers as Good at Detecting Fish as Echolocating Dolphins, Researchers Find” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: This link should provide you with current marine-biology research news.  If the page is more general, scroll down to “Browse News Stories,” and choose “Marine Biology” from the list of topics.  You can also read the sample articles on “Damselfish ‘Gardeners’” or “Harbor Seals’ Whiskers.”
   
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• Reading: The Boston Globe - Science Section Sample Article: “Lobster ban urged for south of Cape”; The New York Times: Science News Sample Article: “Cold, Dark, and Teaming with Life”

  Links: The Boston Globe - Science Section (HTML) Sample Article:  “Lobster ban urged for south of Cape” (HTML); The New York Times:  Science News (HTML) Sample Article:  “Cold, Dark, and Teaming with Life” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Browse these websites for current marine-biology news.  Read the sample articles as suggested resources.
   
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6.2.2 In Universities and Research Organizations  

• Web Media: Smithsonian Institution: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s “Research Home Page” and The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL)’s “Research” Page

  Link: Smithsonian Institution: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s “Research Home Page” (HTML) and The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL)’s “Research” (HTML) Page
   
  Instructions: For the Smithsonian, choose any of the research “themes” at the top of this page to learn more about current areas of marine research and research questions.  For the MBL, click on “Resident Research” or “Visiting Research” to learn about current marine-research projects.
   
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• Reading: The New England Aquarium’s “Research Projects”

  Link: The New England Aquarium’s “Research Projects” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Browse this website for summaries of current research, or click on links to read more about specific projects.
   
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• Reading: University of Florida: Professor H. Jane Brockmann’s Web Page: “My Research”

  Link: University of Florida: Professor H.  Jane Brockmann’s Web Page: “My Research” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this section on the ongoing work that Professor Brockmann is doing on horseshoe crab behavior.
   
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6.2.3 In Scientific Journals  

Note: The content of this section will change over time and is dependent upon the contents of the current issue of the journal, or current topics in the news.  This unit will likely be more of an overview, rather than in-depth study, but should provide some exposure to scientific articles and the methods used in research.

• Reading: The Cephalopod Page: Roland Anderson and Andrea Leontiu’s “Evaluating Toys for Octopuses (Enteroctopus dofleini, Cephalopoda)”

  Link: The Cephalopod Page: Roland Anderson and Andrea Leontiu’s “Evaluating Toys for Octopuses (Enteroctopus dofleini, Cephalopoda)” (HTML)
   
  Instructions: Read this article in its entirety.
   
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• Reading: Journal of Marine Biology: Shapouri, et al.’s “Structural Changes in Macroinvertebrate Communities Associated with Reduction in the Management of Coastal Saltpans”

  Link: Journal of Marine Biology: Shapouri, et al.’s “Structural Changes in Macroinvertebrate Communities Associated with Reduction in the Management of Coastal Saltpans” (HTML and PDF)
   
  Instructions: Read this article (and note that you will recognize many of the taxonomic groups mentioned).  If you have not yet taken a statistics course, do not concern yourself with the statistical analyses used.
   
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• Assessment: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Present and Future”

  Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “The Present and Future” (PDF)
   
  Instructions: Please complete the entire assessment.  You can check your answers against the answer key here.

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Final Exam  

• Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO308 Final Exam"

  Link: The Saylor Foundation's "BIO308 Final Exam"
  
  Instructions: You must be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam.  If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link.

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