BI 474/574 Marine Ecology (5 quarter hour credits) (5 quarter hour credits)
Instructor: Caitlin Plowman

Marine Ecology is an interdisciplinary field covering the interaction of organisms with each other and their environment. In this course, we approach the discipline by focusing on the strengths of our program’s unfettered access to the flora and fauna of the local shore, emphasizing concepts and practice of rocky intertidal community ecology. Each week, we will be in the field, getting wet, making observations, and learning how to link these observations to developing and testing hypotheses that connect to fundamental ecological theory. Meets Mondays 8:30 – 5:00pm

BI 451/551 Invertebrate Zoology (10 quarter hour credits)
Instructor: Richard Emlet and Maya Watts

Introduction to the diversity of marine invertebrates. What they look like, how they work, where they live, and their natural history and behavior. Lectures will introduce organisms, explain their form and function, and include current views of evolutionary origins and phylogenetic relationships. Field trips will explore animals in their natural habitats and laboratory sessions will allow careful study of living invertebrates, emphasizing form and function. Meets Tuesdays and Thursdays 8:30-5:00.

BI 457/557 Marine Biology: Comparative Embryology and Larval Biology (5 quarter hour credits)
Instructor: Svetlana Maslakova

A comparative survey of embryonic development and larval forms across marine invertebrate phyla, including but not limited to: Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Platyhelminthes, Annelida, Mollusca, Nemertea, Phoronida, Echinodermata, Bryozoa and Chordata (Tunicates). Students explore the rich and colorful diversity of marine embryos and larvae by culturing dozens of representative species in the laboratory. Field trips will be dedicated to collecting live material for use in class. This course is a great opportunity to improve microscopy, observation and scientific illustration skills. Course limited to 12 students. Meets Wednesdays days 8:30 – 5:00pm.
Check out the Embryology Class Blog

BI 457/557 Marine Biology: Biology of Fishes (5 quarter hour credits)
Instructor: Rowan McLachlan

Ichthyology is the study of fishes. In this course, we will explore the diversity of biological adaptations of fishes with an emphasis on local fish species of commercial and recreational importance in the Pacific Northwest. Specific topics include physiological, morphological, and behavioral adaptations; classification and identification; reproduction; ecology; evolution; and resilience to disease and anthropogenic stressors. By the end of this course, students will be able to identify major species of Pacific Northwest fish species, distinguish the major external and internal anatomical features of fishes, demonstrate a working knowledge of major fish physiological systems, and be adept in various laboratory and field research methods. Field excursions may include trips to the CMLC, offshore cruises, and trips to local sites. Meets Wednesdays 8:30 – 5:00.

BI 457/557 Marine Biology: Cell Physiology in the Marine Realm (5 quarter hour credits)
Instructor: George von Dassow

This course covers fundamental topics in cell biology of eukaryotes, with a focus on marine organisms in relation to their lifestyle in the natural environment. Specific topics include the cell cycle and cell division; the cytoskeleton and intracellular organization; cell motility, cell shape change, and related behaviors in both protists and animal cells; and multicellularity in various groups. Labs focus on practical light microscopy on living material, including invertebrate eggs, embryos and larvae, as well as diatoms, dinoflagellates and other algae and protists. Fulfills Area 1 major requirement. Fridays 8:30 – 4:30.

BI 408/508 Marine Biology: From Aristotle to Alvin (2 quarter hour credits)
Instructor: Craig Young

Marine Biology was proposed as a formal discipline around 1880, but the study of marine life began at least 2000 years earlier. This course traces studies of marine life from the golden age of Greece through the Middle Ages and into the mid-twentieth century; from Aristotle’s intertidal observations of animal form and reproduction through the much later understanding of systematics, taxonomy, life histories, embryology, biogeography and ecology. Students will be introduced to the colorful lives of marine scientists, the women and men who crafted the discipline, and to the gear and methods they developed, including microscopy, diving, field sampling and experiments, genetics and submarines. The class will introduce Biodiversity Heritage Library, an online resource that provides a convenient portal into the early literature of marine biology. Students will have opportunities to see and handle many historical objects, volumes and artifacts from earlier times in the history of marine biology. Fridays 4:00 – 5:00.