Undergraduate - Clarion University

Clarion University of Pennsylvania 75
Marine Science Courses
MARS 300: BEHAVIOR OF MARINE ORGANISMS 3 s.h.
Concepts of ethology; discussion and observation of the influences of external and internal factors on the regulation and
control of behavior of organisms living in the marine coastal environment. Each summer.
MARS 301: MARINE INVERTEBRATES 3 s.h.
This course is designed to utilize the marine invertebrate taxa to introduce students to the unique specializations which
animals have evolved which allow them to successfully carry out the processes necessary for life and to exploit a wide variety of
marine habitats. Major trends in invertebrate evolution will be used to illustrate the historical constraints upon these solutions and
the necessity of narrative explanations of form and function in animals. It is assumed that each student has been introduced to the
major taxa of animals in a prior introductory zoology course. Taxonomy will be used as a heuristic tool, but will not be stressed as
an ends itself. Each summer.
MARS 302: BIOLOGICAL OCEANOGRAPHY 3 s.h.
Interdisciplinary study of the interactions between biological communities and the ocean environment as seen by distributions
of coastal plankton, fish, and benthic invertebrates. Projects will involve boat trips to sample populations and to quantitatively
document environmental variables with state-of-the-art equipment, laboratory and field experiments to determine rate processes,
and visits to nearby field and government laboratories. Examples of project topics include transport of plankton at barrier island
passes, effect of submarine banks on fish populations, ground truth data for satellite imagery, and other current topics in biological
oceanography. Each summer.
MARS 303: BIOLOGY OF MOLLUSKS 3 s.h.
The Mollusca is the second largest group of animals and perhaps the most diverse in terms of morphological, ecological, and
behavioral variations. This course offers an evolutionary, functional, and ecologic approach to studying this important group of
organisms. Each summer.
MARS 320: MARINE GEOLOGY 3 s.h.
Sedimentary and tectonic characteristics of the continental margins and deep ocean basins; sediment transport and deposition
in marine environments; marine geophysical methods at sea; marine mineral resources. Each summer.
MARS 400: COMPARATIVE PHYSIOLOGY OF MARINE ORGANISMS 3 s.h.
This course will provide an introduction to the physiology of marine organisms. The lecture will introduce the topics of
respiration, circulation, metabolism, osmoregulation, thermoregulation, locomotion, and sensory systems by drawing comparisons
between the mechanisms and strategies utilized by a wide range of marine organisms. Laboratory and field work will focus on the
physiological responses of marine plants and animals to common environmental stresses such as salt load, temperature variation,
depletion of dissolved oxygen, and tidal flux. This will be accomplished through measurements and observations in the field, as
well as through experimental manipulations in a laboratory setting. Each summer.
MARS 401: ADVANCED METHODS IN COASTAL ECOLOGY 3 s.h.
An introduction to the wide array of methods of data collection, study designs, and analyses used in ecology. Emphasis is
placed on understanding the strengths and weaknesses of different ecological methods and analyses in the study of coastal
environments. Lecture, field work, and laboratory are integrated, and students gain practical computer experience by analyzing
ecological data from the field using software that performs analyses introduced in lecture. Each summer.
MARS 402: CORAL REEF ECOLOGY 3 s.h.
A study of coral reef structure, formation, types, and the relationships of reef organisms to their environment. Emphasis is
given to species diversity, identification, symbioses, and effects of temperature, salinity, light, nutrient concentration, predation,
and competition on the abundance and the distribution of coral reef organisms. Each summer.
MARS 403: RESEARCH DIVER METHODS 3 s.h.
Study and practice of aquatic research methods using SCUBA as a tool. Advanced research diving topics include areas
such as navigation, search and recovery, underwater photography, survey methods, estimating population parameters, and data
acquisition while under water. Specific research techniques will be presented in the context of specific aquatic research project
conducted by students under the direction of the instructor. Each summer.
MARS 404: MARINE AQUACULTURE 3 s.h.
This course will include the theory and the practice of raising organisms for food and for the aquarium trade. Techniques
of raising economically important organisms from the egg stage to marketable size and their food supplies will be studied. Each
summer.
MARS 405: COASTAL ENVIRONMENTAL OCEANOGRAPHY 3 s.h.
This course examines the interaction of biological, chemical, physical, geological, and ecological ocean processes as applied
to coastal environments. Emphasis is on environmental management issues of the coastal tidal zone. Topics include water quality
analysis, barrier island geology and ecology, estuarine pollution, beach defense and biological implications in areas of coastal upwelling
and coastal fronts. Each summer.
MARS 406: BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY 3 s.h.
This course is designed to present animal behavior within an ecological and evolutionary context. Presents mathematical and
theoretical framework of behavioral ecology. An in-depth exploration of the ways in which the behavior of animals is influenced
by the environment, especially with regard to resource distribution. Each summer.
College of Arts
and Sciences