Marine Biology

Catalog description

Upon completion of this course, students will: 1) compare and contrast the biodiversity and environmental characteristics of the major distinctive marine communities: coral reefs, kelp forests, seagrass beds, and the deep ocean; 2) employ diverse taxonomic resources (including electronic and print media, live and/or preserved specimens, and reference materials) to identify and classify major groups of marine organisms; 3) describe and differentiate the physical and chemical properties of seawater and the oceans; 4) critically analyze current environmental issues that impact the oceans and coastal environments; 5) communicate effectively regarding biological subjects in oral and written form using appropriate scientific terminology; 6) apply the scientific method starting with the generation of a hypothesis from a set of observations, followed by the processes of experiment design, data collection and analysis of experimental results through hands-on laboratory skills application.