2011–2012 UNIVERSITY CATALOG - Florida Institute of Technology

BIO 4411 CONSERVATION GENETICS (4 credits). Introduces conservation
genetics. Focuses on population genetic theory and emphasizes molecular methods for
examining population differentiation, genetic diversity, the evolution of small populations,
and the management of threatened populations. Lab includes experimental
design, data collection and analysis. Prerequisites: BIO 2110.
BIO 4420 PRE-COLUMBIAN ECOSYSTEMS (1 credit). Investigates through
ecology the extent to which pre-Columbian occupants of the Americas influenced
ecosystems. Includes archaeological, anthropological and ecological data that
contributes to understanding the key debates about what is natural in the Americas.
(Requirement: Junior standing.) Prerequisites: BIO 3410.
BIO 4421 NEOTROPICAL ARCHEOECOLOGY (3 credits). Studies the impact
of human activities on past and present ecology. Integrates regional archaeology with
modern ecology to compare sites with and without past human impacts. Uses field
techniques that include forest census in megadiverse environments, sediment coring
and curation of specimens. Prerequisites: BIO 4420.
BIO 4515 ECOLOGY OF CORAL REEFS (3 credits). Broadly examines coral
reefs from reef geology and geomorphology to conservation and management,
including the physical environment, coral and symbiosis, reproduction, demography,
community dynamics, diversity and function, biogeography and evolution, and natural
and anthropogenic disturbances. Prerequisites: BIO 3410, BIO 4410.
BIO 4517 INTRODUCTION TO MODELING FOR ECOLOGY AND
BIOLOGY (4 credits). Includes allometric principles, biological processes within
organisms, population and metapopulation models, competition and symbiosis,
predator-prey relations, community and diversity, and models in evolution, biogeography,
ecosystems and conservation. Prerequisites: BIO 3410.
BIO 4530 BIOLOGY OF FISHES (4 credits). Introduces the structure, evolution,
behavior and ecology of freshwater and marine fishes. Labs examine the anatomy,
physiology and ecology of fishes. Includes field collection trips to local marine and
freshwater habitats. Prerequisites: BIO 3410.
BIO 4550 COMPARATIVE VERTEBRATE ANATOMY (4 credits). Lectures
and labs examine the comparative anatomy of higher animals. Emphasizes the evolutionary
trends of the vertebrates. (Requirement: Junior standing.)
BIO 4620 FISH AQUACULTURE AND MANAGEMENT (4 credits). Surveys
in depth the culture methods of freshwater and saltwater fish species including an
introduction to the theory and techniques necessary for managing wild fisheries
stocks. Labs focus on fish culturing methodology and analysis of wild fish populations.
Includes several field studies. Prerequisites: BIO 1020.
BIO 4625 CRUSTACEAN AQUACULTURE (3 credits). Studies the basic biology,
life history and culturing techniques of the major commercially important crustaceans.
Labs culture selected decapod species. Prerequisites: BIO 3510.
BIO 4641 BIOLOGY OF MARINE MAMMALS (3 credits). Studies the evolution,
classification, ecology and general life history of marine mammals. Prerequisites:
BIO 1020.
BIO 4710 MARINE BIOLOGY (4 credits). Lectures and labs on the nature of life
in the ocean and in coastal environments. Reviews taxonomic diversity, ecological
roles and adaptations of the five kingdoms. Includes physiological mechanisms, locomotion
and migrations, defenses against predation, sensory reception, productivity,
feeding, reproduction and symbiosis. Prerequisites: BIO 3510.
BIO 4720 MARINE ECOLOGY (4 credits). Covers the structure and function of
marine biotic systems from the organism (life histories) to community and ecosystem.
(Requirement: Senior standing.) (Q) Prerequisites: BIO 2801, BIO 3410.
BIO 4904 FIELD BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION OF THE GALAPAGOS
ISLANDS (3 credits). Field biology course in the Galapagos Islands. Emphasizes
climate and evolution processes and patterns. Includes both terrestrial and marine
investigations of the unique biota of the islands. A field fee is required. Prerequisites:
BIO 3410.
BIO 4990 BIOLOGY FORUM (1 credit). Critical analysis of primary literature and
review articles in the biological sciences by oral presentation and small group discussion.
(Requirement: Instructor approval.)
BIO 4991 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH 1 (3 credits). Research experience
under the direction and supervision of a member of the biological sciences faculty.
(Requirement: Instructor approval.) (Q)
BIO 4992 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH 2 (3 credits). Research experience
under the direction and supervision of a member of the biological sciences faculty.
(Requirement: Instructor approval.) (Q)
BIO 4993 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH 3 (3 credits). Research experience
under the direction and supervision of a member of the biological sciences faculty.
(Requirement: Instructor approval.) (Q)
222 Florida Tech
BIO 5005 COMPARATIVE BIOLOGY OF INVERTEBRATES (3 credits).
Introduces graduate students to the methods by which invertebrate metazoans perform
life functions, as well as the similarity underlying these methods. Draws on the rich
diversity of invertebrate body forms, and compares major and minor phyla.
BIO 5010 ICHTHYOLOGY (4 credits). Provides graduate students a background in
ichthyology and fish biology. The first part follows classical ichthyology by covering systematics
and evolution of fishes. The second part focuses on biological and ecological
adaptation of fishes to different environments.
BIO 5012 PROTEIN BIOTECHNOLOGY (3 credits). Introduces the fundamentals
in protein biotechnology in industrial, medical and agricultural applications.
Includes expression of recombinant proteins and analysis, transgenic animal and
transgenic plant for protein production, gene therapy and the current status of the
protein biotechnology industry.
BIO 5020 FIELD ECOLOGY 1 (3 credits). Field course identifies the plant
communities characteristic of the southern Appalachian Mountains. Examines the
factors responsible for the control and dynamics of these community types in the field.
The field trip is conducted in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. A field fee
is required.
BIO 5022 CORAL REEF ECOLOGY (3 credits). Two-week field examination in
the Bahamas. Familiarizes students with patterns of abundance and distribution of
the common species of coral reef fishes. Emphasizes species identification and field
methods of investigating reef fish ecology. A field fee is required.
BIO 5025 ECOLOGY OF SALT MARSH AND MANGROVE (3 credits).
Discusses the ecology of salt marsh and mangrove systems. Emphasizes how organisms
adapt to the alternating inundation and exposed environment, and how physical
and biological factors interact to determine the population and community structures.
BIO 5028 DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF ECOLOGICAL STUDIES (4 credits).
Comprehensively reviews experimental and observational methods and analysis tools
commonly encountered in ecology. Emphasizes the practical application of research
designs to ecological problems and different fields of ecology.
BIO 5030 CONSERVATION BIOLOGY (3 credits). Demonstrates the synthetic
nature of conservation biology drawing from the disciplines of genetics, population
biology, biogeography, ecology, wildlife management, human ecology and natural
resource management. Illustrates conservation issues using case studies from a wide
variety of global ecosystems.
BIO 5031 CONSERVATION GENETICS (3 credits). Introduces conservation
genetics. Focuses on population genetic theory and emphasizes molecular methods to
identify evolutionarily significant units, assess genetic diversity, understand the evolution
of small populations and manage threatened populations.
BIO 5034 PALEOCLIMATOLOGY AND PALEOECOLOGY (3 credits).
Discusses how and why climate has changed, and how those changes have influenced
ecosystems. Also covers species migration, speciation, community change and biogeography.
Provides tools to develop climatic and ecological histories.
BIO 5045 REPRODUCTION AND RECRUITMENT OF MARINE FISHES
(4 credits). Discusses the processes of reproduction and recruitment of marine fishery
species. Topics range from the physiological and behavioral characteristics of reproduction,
to the molecular events of fertilization, to the influences of oceanographic
processes on larval and juvenile life stages.
BIO 5047 ECOLOGICAL PHYSIOLOGY OF FISHES (3 credits). Addresses
how the physiology of fishes is affected and regulated in response to environmental
changes. Fishes inhabit a vast range of habitats that vary with respect to biotic and
abiotic factors. Successful maintenance of populations in challenging environments
requires responsive adjustments in physiology.
BIO 5060 BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF SEAGRASSES (3 credits). Lectures,
discussions of recent literature, and independent or group lab study of the truly
marine angiosperms. Covers the systematics, anatomy, physiology and reproduction of
seagrasses, along with autoecology and community ecology of tropical and temperate
seagrass meadows.
BIO 5065 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON
(3 credits). Field examination of the flora, fauna and descriptive ecology of the
Indian River system along the east coast of Florida. Emphasizes understanding
natural history in relation to geologic history, biogeography, human society and
recent problems in resource management.
BIO 5075 MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS IN BIOLOGY (3 credits). Teaches graduate
students how to apply various multivariate techniques in analyzing biological data
using a hands-on problem-solving approach. Includes principal component analysis,
cluster analysis and discriminate function analysis.
BIO 5080 MECHANISMS OF BIOLOGICAL CLOCKS (3 credits). Surveys the
primary literature of processes underlying rhythmicity including neural, cellular and
molecular mechanisms. Focuses on circadian rhythms in vertebrate and invertebrate
animals.