BIOL 43400 - Marine Community Ecology

Lecture involves a survey emphasizing marine communities specifically characteristic of the Pacific and Atlantic biogeographic realms including coral reefs, mangrove estuaries, turtle grass, and hard and soft substrate intertidal communities. Species identification for closely related species in both realms, and the recent evolutionary history of these realms explaining their biotic differences and similarities, as well as a brief survey of other biogeographic realms will be covered. Community processes such as predation, competition, mutualism, zonation, and behavior are discussed as well as physical-chemical factors such as tides, currents, waves, and salinity.

Preparation for Course
P: BIOL 14000 and BIOL 11900.

Cr. 3.
Hours
Class 2, Lab. 1.
Student Learning Outcomes
1.  Identify approximately 200 species of coastal terrestrial and marine animals and plants found in the Pacific and Atlantic (together constituting an area of focus) biogeographic realms utilizing photographs, preserved specimens and shells.
2.  Relate broadly the species in the focus area to other species and their positions in the phylogeny of animals and plants.
3.  Distinguish several closely related species found in both realms.
4.  Describe how these species constitute the various coastal communities found in these two realms and their ecological interactions, and the adaptations to their respective environments and niches.
5.  Explain how plate tectonic changes in the oceanic and continental crust bounding the Atlantic and the Pacific, as well as how differences in oceanic circulation patterns between the Atlantic and Pacific have affected the evolution of both terrestrial and marine organisms in the focus area.
6.  Explain the affects of oceanic and atmospheric circulation, tides, and climate in various locations in the focus area.
7.  Apply above knowledge to interpretation field photographs and videos, satellite and drone photography, transects, cross sections, etc. in the focus area.