Coastal Ecology.

Catalog description

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: BIOL 317 . Enrollment is restricted to seniors and graduate students who have passed the VCU prerequisite or an equivalent general ecology course at another university. This course will provide students with an introduction to the topics of coastal ecosystems, drivers shaping these systems and the organisms that live in these environments. As 80 percent of the world’s population (and 50 percent of Americans) lives within 50 miles of the coastline and humans use coastal areas extensively, understanding the natural roles and services provided by coastal ecosystems and their constituent organisms is fundamental for addressing management, conservation and response to climate change.